Surface water quality susceptibility in drinking water treatment at Dhaka, Bangladesh

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Research Paper 01/07/2017
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Surface water quality susceptibility in drinking water treatment at Dhaka, Bangladesh

Md. Serajuddin, Md. Aktarul Islam Chowdhury
J. Biodiv. & Environ. Sci. 11(1), 123-133, July 2017.
Copyright Statement: Copyright 2017; The Author(s).
License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Abstract

Ground water depletion in Dhaka indicates that shifting to a surface water source is now inevitable to continue Dhaka’s public water supply. But indiscriminate pollution of the rivers of Dhaka has made them difficult to treat. Hence study on the evolution of some of the critical quality parameter is carried to understand the occasional problems of odour and aesthetic in the treated surface water in Dhaka. The Sitalakhya River water & Saidabad water treatment plant (SWTP) at Dhaka is the concern of this study. Water samples were collected & tested for a period of four years from 2002 to 2006 mostly in the laboratory of SWTP following standard methods and analyzed. Ammonia levels are found generally below 0.5 mg NH4-N/l in the wet season but rise up to 10 mg NH4-N/l (sometimes more) during the dry season. Other parameters such as BOD, COD, phosphate, hardness, TDS, and conductivity show the same general pattern of variation. BOD reaches levels of 20 mg/l & BOD to COD ratio is between 1.5 and 2.Colour exists in treated water from around 2 TCU to around 15 TCU respectively in dry & wet seasons. Sulfide presence is negligible. The average and max values, both increasing around three mg NH4-N/l every year with a trend signifying that it will continue further. Compared to design criteria of SWTP of max 4 mg NH4-N per litre the increases are substantial. This needs attention both in terms of regulatory measures and of proactive strategies on how to handle the resulting future treatment challenges.

DWASA, 2006. Feasibility Study on Alternative Intake for Saidabad Water Treatment Plant. Dhaka, Final Report, conducted by DPM, AQUA, IWM.

DWASA, 2007. Joint Feasibility Study of Pre treatment for water supply for the Saidabad Water Treatment Plant, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Conducted by Grointmij/CarIBro, Final Report.

IWM. 2004. Study to Investigate Alternate Location of the Intake of Saidabad Water Treatment Plant, Final Report, DWASA, Institute of Water Modelling and BUET.

IWM. 2005. Assessment of the Water Quality of Lakhya River with special reference to the Intake point of Saidabad Water Treatment Plant, Draft Final Report.

IWM. 2006. Resource Assessment and Monitoring of Water Supply Sources for Dhaka City, Final Report, DWASA.

IWM. 2006. Industrial Environmental Compliance and Pollution Control in Greater Dhaka-Phase-I, Draft Final Report, the World Bank.

Khan FS. 2008. Assessment of water quality at DND conveyance canal and its implications on treated water quality at Saidabad water treatment plant. A M.Sc. Engg. Thesis submitted to BUET.

Serajuddin. 2002. “Water Treatment at Saidabad Plant: State – of – the Art.” Engineering News’ IEB, 28, No. 4, July- August, 2002. 

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10-11 April. 2010. organized by BUET, WEDC,  British Council, 10-11 April  2010.

Serajuddin. 2011. “Issues of Raw Water Quality in the Treatment of Drinking Water at Dhaka”.  Proceedings international Conference on “Environmental Technology & Construction Engineering, ICETCESD 2011” at SUST, Sylhet, Bangladesh, March 10-12, 2011.

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