The water sources in all cities were selected from where the people were getting water mainly for drinking purposes. The water samples for analysis were collected from overall 344 different water sources (locations) showing distribution as Islamabad (26)*, Punjab (163), NWFP (35), Balochistan (65) Sindh (55). The source wise detailed was Tubewells (176), W. Supply (23), Cistern (2), Bore (12), Tap (60), Well (5), Karez (2), Spring (5), Windmill (1), Hand Pump (48), Injection Pump (7), Donkey Pump (3). On overall Pakistan basis, out of 344 water samples, 65% samples had been diagnosed as polluted with Coliform and 35% were contaminated with E.Coli. The 28% water samples had excessive concentration of Ca ions may be due to calcareousness of land parent materials in Pakistan, whereas, 27% water samples had been contaminated with excess Fe and similarly 22% water samples had, as levels beyond WHO permissible limits. The Turbidity level is found on higher side in 17% water samples as a whole; on the same pattern 12% samples had been identified with high level of TDS. More or less 9% to 10% water samples had more ionic concentrations of Na, SO₄ and NO₃ than permissible limits. Similarly, ranging from 6% to 8% water samples had contained excessive levels of Hardness, Cl and K contents. The higher levels than acceptable standards 1% samples respectively.  5% samples were contaminated with high level of Al and 0.3 to 1% samples had high concentration of Cr, Mo, Se and Ni.(Annexure-25).

The water samples were collected from different 344 water sources located in 22 important cities of Pakistan. Out of 344 water sources, 36 sources were delivering potable, fit, hygienic and safe good quality drinking water free from microbial contaminations and possessing less concentrations of soluble macro and micro inorganic ions as well as low levels of physical and esthetic parameters compared with international accepted water quality standards. Hence, the water can be supplied and used for drinking purposes from these sources without any treatment processes. At the same time 21 water sources were supplying safe drinking water with slight 1 to 5 problem parameters (Turbidity, Ca, K, TDS & Fe), not so adversely affecting the human health in general perspective. Consequently, the water can be supplied and used for drinking from these sources after simple treatment processes.

For the first time in Pakistan, about 54 numbers of trace and ultra trace elements were determined in the water quality laboratory of PCRWR, Islamabad by using high tech lab. instrument viz. ICP (Inductive Coupled Plasma Spectrometry). In general, majority of the water samples collected from 343 locations distributed in 22 major cities of Pakistan were found contaminated and polluted with both or single organisms of Coliform  or E.Coli. It has been observed that almost all surface water sources usually contaminated with bacteria while deep groundwater sources had been found generally free of bacteria due to least seepage influence. However, both surface and groundwater sources/locations had been found contaminated lying in the urban areas of dense population.

The report is based on Phase-III (summer) water quality monitoring through collection of water samples and subsequent field and lab. analysis. Contrary to previous two reports on water quality status of Pakistan; in this report a different pattern of results presentation is adopted on city level basis instead of parameters, which is more appropriate and easy in understanding for policy makers, city Nazims and water supply managers to adopt future line of actions on the important issue of water quality.

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* The number of water sources/locations are given in brackets.

Based on the data presented earlier, the following specific recommendations are made:

1. Safe water sources identified in different cities must be publicized and informed to the city Nazims so that maximum number of peoples could be benefited from these potable good quality water sources.

2. Low-cost kits and reliable simple methods of water quality testing system which can be handled by lay household individuals be developed and encouraged in the country.

3. Comprehensive plans should be made and implemented to meet the human needs of safe drinking water and to prevent the occurrence of all water-borne diseases.

4. The water supply and management agencies should feel the responsibility to maintain water quality in the water distribution system up to the consumers’ level for which booster chlorination be ensured at different pumping stations.

5. Household water reservoirs are not cleaned periodically, these should be cleaned and disinfected regularly.

6. Water theft and wastage through leakages should be properly monitored by concerned authorities and remedial action be taken timely.

7. Appropriate measures, especially by civil bodies, need to be taken to discourage use of suction pumps on the supply lines. The consumers must be warned about the health consequences associated with contaminated drinking water.

8. Acceptable parameters levels set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the purity of potable safe drinking water should be fully adopted in the country.

9. There is need for evolving a regular and fool-proof method to ensure that the drinking water must be free from E-Coli and Coliform responsible for various water-borne diseases.

10. Strict compliance of environmental protection legislations and arrangements be made for treatment of huge quantity of toxic waste industrial and domestic sewage water prior to runoff into the natural freshwater rivers, streams, tributaries, canals and other water channels as well as sea.

11. Simple technologies and low cost treatment plants may be developed indigenously and make efforts to arrange for the recycling of wastewater to make it reusable for agricultural, domestic and industrial purposes.

12. Chlorination, ozonation and solar radiation treatment for water disinfection in rural areas, including deserts should be introduced where potable water is available in very little quantity and that, too contaminated most of the time.

13. Baseline data bank on the quality of piped and groundwater being consumed by citizens be established for comparative water quality monitoring studies in future at national level.

14. Leakages and wastage of water must be minimized causing 30-50 % loss of the total water supply. The water supply agencies should install meters to charge the consumers on the basis of “pay as you use”.

15. Health education should include the subject of water quality, safety and associated hazards.

16. Prevention of cross-contaminations should be controlled by not passing pipelines along or across the sewerage lines.

17. Water distribution network is grossly overloaded and has outlived its economic design life in most of the cities which needs replacement with high quality pipes.

18. There is need to clean and improve the sewage system and to rehabilitate the outlived or undersized sewers, as well as it should be extended upto the katchi abadis and other slum areas where they are absent. However, an efficient sewage system, which can safeguard groundwater and rivers from getting contaminated be installed.

19. The government should provide treatment facilities at low cost to the farmers as well as small industrialist for reducing the risks of using effluents.

20. Awareness must be propagated to minimize the thoughtless and wasteful activities like using running tap water to wash cars or irrigating the lawns and home garden unnecessarily. Each of us has to realize that less water used means less wastewater produced.

21. Proper scientific solid waste management system must be evolved to reduce the flow of pollutants into the fresh surface and groundwater sources.

22. It should be mandatory on the agencies responsible to regularly monitor quality of water being supplied to the consumers through analysis done at their own laboratories or other accredited laboratories of repute.

23. Regular monitoring of all water resources and water points at the national level should be ensured to help identify problem areas, causes of contamination, and design a framework of corrective plans.

24. Lead absorbed by water bodies from atmosphere can be quite injurious to health. Use of lead free gasoline for vehicles should be encouraged in the country, particularly in those areas where surface water is the main source of drinking water like Karachi, Islamabad, and Rawalpindi to avoid contamination.

25. It has been observed that sub-standard chemicals containing impurities are used in water treatment plants. Such chemicals can produce different kinds of contaminants, causing health hazards. It is strongly recommended that strict quality control must be ensured in the treatment plants.

26. Alternate sources of water should be identified in areas where the quality of source of existing water supply is questionable. Examples for such cases are wells from which water with high concentrations of Arsenic is pumped for drinking purposes.

27. No new water supply scheme should be approved unless detailed investigations of water quality, quantity, possible sources of local contamination, and its sustainability have been carried out.

28. For effective awareness, educational institutions & mosques including mass media should be used for creating awareness about the importance of water quality among the users.

29. Seminars and workshops should be frequently arranged to disseminate the findings of the water quality monitoring results.