Pakistan is also facing the problem of waterborne
diseases due to lack of infrastructure facilities for water
distribution, improper manages sanitary conditions and
poor water quality. WHO recommended, before human
consumption drinking water must be treated and free
from toxic chemicals and pathogenic microbes (WHO,
1976). But in Pakistan drinking water treatment is
rarely done before consumption and no such
international standard are perused for physical,
chemical and microbiological limits of drinking water.
70% population of Pakistan lives in rural areas has no
proper water supply system. Urbanization also threatens
to drinking water quality in Pakistan. In Pakistan
urbanization has increased from 31 to 34% in last few
years. Due to increase in urbanization safe drinking
water availability reduced from 60% to 40 (Hussain
et al., 2007) and 60% deaths occur in Pakistan due to
the use of contaminated water (England and Wales,
Ministry of Health and local Government, 1956). In
Pakistan, water filtration before distribution is almost
non-existence and furthermore, WHO standards or
NEQs are not followed for physiochemical and
bacteriological analysis of drinking water. This study
was conducted for physiochemical and bacteriological
analysis of drinking water of new urban areas of
Peshawar and compared the old historical areas of the
city.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Material: A total 10 locations or areas for drinking
water samples were selected and Thirty (30) water
samples were collected from water supply, distribution
system and storage tanks with 10 samples each. Physiochemical
analyses, i.e., pH, turbidity and Total
Suspended Solids (TSS) was determined by standard
ASTM Methods Whereas, microbial analyses was
conducted for Total & fecal coliform and E. coli
(APHA, 2005).
For bacteriological analysis, the samples were
collected in a 500 mL sterilized Schott Duran Bottle,
the bottles were properly sterilized before the sample
collection and for Physio-chemical analysis water
samples were collected in plastic bottles. When the
sample were collected the bottle were tightly capped
and properly labeled. Water samples collected for
bacteriological analysis kept in ice box then transported
to environment microbiology section of PCSIR
Laboratory complex Peshawar with in 1 h to prevent
from any Physio-chemical alteration and unwanted
growth of microbes.