Study on Water Supply System and Associated Health Risks in Gazipur City Area

Abstract

Since drinking water is a daily requirement that cannot be avoided, it is one of the most significant factors relating to human health. On the other hand, the water provided to households by the city corporation must be free from various health hazards. This study investigates the water supply system and associated health risks in the Gazipur city area. Gazipur, an industrial and rapidly urbanizing region in Bangladesh, faces significant challenges in ensuring a safe and reliable water supply for its residents. The research aims to evaluate the current state of the water supply system, analyse water quality, and identify health risks related to water contamination. Primary data collection involved sampling water from various distribution points across 15 different wards in Gazipur where pipe water supply by city corporation is available. About 50 samples were collected from these 15 wards to conduct the test. The water samples were tested for physical, chemical, and biological parameters, including pH, colour, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), salinity, iron, manganese, fluoride, sulphate, nitrate, and E-coli. The results were compared with the Environmental Conservation Rules (ECR) 2023 standards to assess compliance. The findings revealed that a significant portion of the water supply from the city corporation meets the acceptable standards for several key parameters, with some of the parameters like turbidity, colour not in the actual range in some samples. Apart from those results in the minor number of samples, all other values from the tests were safe for the health. 2 | P a g e Gazipur city will become more densely populated that will create more need of potable water. But, only 26% of the wards in Gazipur have access to piped water, highlighting a critical gap in water infrastructure. The study underscores the need for urgent improvements in water supply systems. This research contributes to the understanding of water quality issues in urban Bangladesh and offers recommendations for policy and practice to enhance the safety and reliability of the water supply in Gazipur