Surface Water Pollution inside Dhaka City

An assignment

Submitted by

Uchhwas Datta (0420110018)

Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering

Under the supervision of

Dr Md Tauhid Ur Rahman

Professor

Department of Civil Engineering

Military Institute of Science and Technology

Military Institute of Science and Technology

August, 2020

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Table of contents

Table of contents.........................................................................................................................................2
Chapter 1.....................................................................................................................................................2
1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Problem Statement.............................................................................................................................3
Chapter 2.....................................................................................................................................................4
2. Methodology...........................................................................................................................................4
Chapter 3.....................................................................................................................................................5
3. Analytical Approach or Tools..................................................................................................................5
Chapter 4.....................................................................................................................................................6
4. Findings...............................................................................................................................................6
Chapter 5.....................................................................................................................................................8
5. Discussions..........................................................................................................................................8
Chapter 6.....................................................................................................................................................9
6. Conclusions and Recommendations....................................................................................................9
References...................................................................................................................................................9

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 Chapter 1

1. Introduction
Surface water pollution includes pollution of rivers, lakes and oceans. A subset of surface water
pollution is marine pollution. Surface water and groundwater have often been studied and
managed as separate resources even though they are interrelated. Surface water seeps through the
soil and becomes groundwater. Conversely, groundwater can also feed surface water sources.
Sources of surface water pollution are generally grouped into two categories based on their
origin.

Point sources

Point source water pollution refers to contaminants that enter a waterway from a single,
identifiable source, such as a pipe or ditch. Examples of sources in this category include
discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain.

Non-point sources

Nonpoint source pollution refers to diffuse contamination that does not originate from a single
discrete source. This type of pollution is often the cumulative effect of small amounts of
contaminants gathered from a large area. A common example is the leaching out of nitrogen
compounds from fertilized agricultural lands. Nutrient runoff in storm water from "sheet flow"
over an agricultural field or a forest are also cited as examples of non-point source pollution.

1.1 Problem Statement

With a population of over 20 million Dhaka city, established by the Mughals on the banks of the
Buriganga, is surrounded by six rivers like a garland. There are Balu and Sitalakhya on the
eastern side, Turag and Buriganga on the western side, Tongi Khal to the north and Dhaleshwari
to the south. Tongi Khal connects both Turag and Balu rivers. Dhaleshwari and Sitalakhya join
the south of Narayanganj and flow into the Meghna River. These rivers receive water from the
Jamuna (Brahmaputra River) in the wet season, and in the dry season upper reaches of these
rivers are slowly replenished by the release of groundwater into the rivers. The lower reaches of
the rivers are also influenced by the tidal variations travelling upstream from the Bay of Bengal
(Arefin and Mallik 2018).

The rivers surrounding Dhaka are an advantage to it and essential for the survival of the
mega city as these provide drainage system, drinking water, different kinds of fishes and also
waterways for traveling. However, being the capital of Bangladesh one of the developing
countries in the world the city has been developed haphazardly without considering its physical
and social diminution. As a result, the environmental consequences originating from rapid

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increase of population along with the increase of polluting effluents from industries, and
municipal as well as other waste are having profound negative impacts on surface water sources
around Dhaka city. In turn, the polluted waters of those sources are posing increasing threats to
the living organisms including humans residing by the sources (Arefin & Mallik 2018). The
sources studied in this project are Buriganga, Balu, Sitalakhya, Turag, Tongi khal and Hatirjheel.

The overall objective of the project is to-

 To find out the causes and sources of water pollution in surface water sources inside
Dhaka city.
 To assess the impact of water pollution.
 To evaluate the current situation of the sources.
 To know the States of water pollution.
 To find out a way to mitigate the water pollution around the mega city.

Chapter 2

2. Methodology
General methodology for the assessment of surface water pollution inside Dhaka city are
discussed below:

1. Identify location
2. Use local environmental expert to identify main potential pollutants
3. Preliminary site survey
4. Select (1) operational surveillance, (2) trend monitoring, or (3) both
5. Define range of significant pollution parameters
6. Establish link, if possible, with formal water quality authorities
7. Identify which staff will carry out measurements
8. Plan monitoring schedule
9. Purchase equipment and train staff in its use
10. Implement field program
11. Collect water samples, photographs and information from different Locations of the
sources
12. Collect recent surface water quality data from DOE or Environmental laboratory in Civil
department of MIST
13. Analyze water quality and pollution loads to find out the present water quality scenario,
trend of water pollution and percent of increase in pollution loading.

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 Chapter 3

3. Analytical Approach or Tools

Requirement of Water Quality Analysis: Water quality analysis is required mainly for
monitoring purpose. Some importance of such assessment includes:

1. To check whether the water quality is in compliance with the standards, and hence, suitable or
not for the designated use.

2. To monitor the efficiency of a system, working for water quality maintenance.

3. To check whether up gradation / change of an existing system is required and to decide what
changes should take place.

4. To monitor whether water quality is in compliance with rules and regulations.

Sampling of Water for Analysis: A common cause of error in water quality analysis is
improper sampling. The results of a water quality analysis of a sample show only what is in the
sample. For the results to be meaningful, the sample must be representative i.e., it must contain
essentially the same constituents as the body of water from which it was taken. The objective of
sampling is to collect a portion of material small enough in volume to be transported
conveniently and yet large enough for analytical purposes while still accurately representing the
material being sampled. The complexity of water quality as a subject is reflected in the many
types of measurements of water quality indicators. The most accurate measurements of water
quality are made on-site, because water exists in equilibrium with its surroundings.
Measurements commonly made on-site and in direct contact with the water source in question
include temperature,' pH, dissolved oxygen, electric conductivity, etc. More complex
measurements are often made in a laboratory requiring a water sample to be collected, preserved,
transported, and analyzed at another location (APHA 1995).

Conventionally, water samples are sent to the laboratory for analysis. There are several
quantitative water quality tests are available. Such as:

 Determination of pH in water
 Determination of Color in water
 Determination of Turbidity in water
 Determination of TS, TDS and TSS in water
 Determination of CO2 in water
 Determination of Alkalinity in water
 Determination of Hardness in water
 Determination of Chloride in water
 Determination of Total Iron in Water
 Determination of Arsenic in water
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  Determination of Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand
 Determination of Chemical Oxygen Demand
 Alum Coagulation
 Break Point Chlorination
 Determination of Total and Fecal Coliform in water

Chapter 4

4. Findings
Water pollution occurs regularly because of human exercises. The significant ones are
unpredictable transfer of mechanical, civil and household wastes in water channels, waterways,
rivers and lakes, and so on. An assessed 2 million tons of sewage and different effluents are
released into the water sources each day. In creating nations the circumstance is more regrettable
where more than 90% of crude sewage and 70% of untreated mechanical wastages are dumped
into surface water sources. The two main wellsprings of water pollution can be viewed as Point
and Non-Point sources. Point sources are moderately simple to recognize, measure and control.
Point sources of water pollution incorporate release from metropolitan sewage treatment plant
and modern plant. While Non-Point implies poisons radiated from different sources .the
pollution can't be followed to a solitary purpose of release, hard to screen and control. Non-point
source pollution is water pollution that influences a water body from diffuse sources, for
example, human land utilize and dirty spillover from rural regions depleting into a river.
Contaminated water after downpours that has gone through a few locales may likewise be
considered as a Non-Point wellspring of pollution. Utilization of concentrated mineral composts
related with tainting of rural groundwater prompts expanding level of supplements in ground and
surface waters, particularly from non-point sources and hard to anticipate contrasted with point
sources. Horticultural movement is major non-point sources pollution including utilization of
nitrogen composts, use of domesticated animals excrement, vegetable obsession and
mineralization of soil nitrogen (Arefin & Mallik 2018).

Point source

 Waste water effluent (Municipal and industrial).

 Runoff and leachate from waste disposal site.
 Runoff and inflation from animal feedlots.
 Runoff from mines, oil fields, unsowed industrial sites.
 Storm sewer outfall from cities of population < 100000.
 Overflow of combined storms and sanitary sewers.
 Runoff of construction sites > 2ha.

Non-point source

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  Runoff from agriculture (including return flow from irrigated agriculture).
 Runoff from pasture and range.
 Urban runoff of un-drained and drained areas of population <100000.
 Septic tank leachate and runoff from septic system.
 Runoff from construction sites <2 ha.
 Run off from abandoned mines
 Atmospheric deposition over a water surface
 Activities of land that generate contaminates such as logging, wetland conversion,
construction and development of land and water ways.

The water quality of the River Buriganga, which receives domestic, industrial, agricultural
and other wastewater discharges, is deteriorating due to the increasing pressure of urbanization
and industrialization in Dhaka City. The present investigation was conducted to assess the water
quality status of the river Buriganga. Water samples were collected from three selected stations
in wet (June-August) and dry (November-January) seasons during the years 2017 and 2018.
Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen (DO) of water varied from 22.80 to 31.40 °C and 0.22 to
2.74 mg/L, respectively. Electrical conductivity of water varied from 180 to 598 μS/cm while pH
ranged from 7.61 to 8.97. This study showed that temperature, DO and Fe were higher in wet
season than in the dry season, whereas pH, conductivity and phosphate were higher in dry season
than in the wet season. But manganese did not vary in different seasons. According to the result
obtained in the present study, it may be said that the water quality of the river Buriganga is not
acceptable to declare the river-ecosystem as a sound one ecologically (Fatema et al. 2018).

The River Balu runs around the northeastern periphery of Dhaka City and collects water from
the River Old Bhramaputra. It discharges into the River Sitalakhya near Demra. The Balu is also
connected to the Tongi River. A large amount of domestic and industrial wastewater is
discharged into the Balu. During the dry season, the sewage discharge is concentrated due to the
reduction in natural flow of the river; accordingly the quality of the river water is considerably
degraded. The largest pollutant source of the Balu is the combined discharge of the Paribagh and
the Begun Bari Khals. These two khals are seriously polluted with industrial wastewater from the
Tejgaon industrial area, as well as domestic sewage (Sohel et al. 2003).

The water quality of the tidal river Sitalakhya is deteriorating due to the untreated wastes
discharged to the river from the industries situated in the Demra and Narayangang areas (JICA &
DWASA 1998). The study revealed that the Balu river is relatively more polluted than the
Sitalakhya river due to the direct discharge of industrial wastes of Tejgaon area, Dhaka and more
municipal waste and agricultural run-off along the bank side of the river. Iron and Manganese
concentration is higher than the standard permissible limit. Phosphate concentration is also very
high due to agricultural run off as phosphate fertilizers and phosphate detergents. The presented
data on the status of river water will provide necessary information to establish water processing

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plants in future, the requirement of which increases at a tremendous rate due to growth of
population, industrialization and arsenic contamination in tube well water (Sohel et al. 2003).

The River Turag has a total length of 75 km and flows near the northwestern boundary of
Dhaka City. It receives its water from the Bangalee and discharges into the Buriganga. The
industries near Tongi, mainly textile, jute and tanneries, discharge their wastes into the Turag
without treatment (JICA & DWASA 1998).

Chapter 5

5. Discussions
Different findings indicate that all rivers around Dhaka City are highly polluted during the dry
season except the Sitalakhya. The important water quality parameters in both dry and wet
seasons, when compared with previous works (Islam 1977), indicate that the degree of pollution
of these rivers is gradually increasing with time. Islam (1977) found that the values for total
solids, turbidity and colour of the Buriganga river were 297 mg/l, 53 NTU and 34 Pt-Co units
respectively; whereas the average value of these parameters during the time of this study
increased to 355 mg/l, 60 NTU and 130 Pt-Co units respectively. The other important parameters
such as BOD5, bacterial colonies, heavy metals and nutrients have also increased significantly.
The water quality of the Tongi and the Turag rivers was equally deteriorating with time, like the
Buriganga, during the dry season. The rate of degradation of water quality of the Sitalakhya river
was found to be lower when compared with previous works (Islam 1977). The rate of increase of
BOD5 during the last 10 years is alarming. As far as the surface waters are concerned, the major
sources are the five rivers, Buriganga, Sitalakhya, Balu, Tongi and Turag; these river water
sources around Dhaka City are highly contaminated due to indiscriminate discharge of sewage
and industrial waste. Therefore, the surface water of Dhaka City cannot be directly used for
domestic consumption unless the water undergoes physical and chemical treatment to make it
absolutely suitable for the purpose. The water can be treated, but the cost of treatment may be
comparatively higher.

DWASA has a plan to supply river water to consumers for domestic purposes other than
drinking. The high concentration of fecal coliforms in all the rivers is likely to contaminate
everything that comes into contact with the water. Supply of river water without treatment may
turn out to be a disaster. Moreover, river water without adequate dissolved oxygen in the dry
season may have bad odors that will be repellent to the consumers. Among the five major river
water sources around Dhaka City, the Sitalakhya is by far the best source in respect of water
quality. As the Buriganga runs very close to the City, it has high potential for large-scale water
treatment works, and thereby has an advantage over the Sitalakhya in respect of distance. In the

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dry season the rivers Tongi, Balu and Turag are almost dry and the discharges are very low. The
dissolved oxygen content in these river waters in the dry season is almost zero (JICA & DWASA
1998), and the chemical examinations indicate that these river waters are contaminated to such
an extent that they cannot be treated economically to provide a water supply for the City in the
dry season. This can be achieved only in the wet (rainy) season.

Chapter 6

6. Conclusions and Recommendations

With increasing population, the demand for water is also increases in Dhaka city. So, Surface
water treatment is the only viable solution to this problem. But the source water from river are so
polluted that it has to be restored in the original form. This can be done by low cost viable
technologies for wastewater treatment. The existing surface water technology should also be
replaced by a more effective one.

At present, the industry owners are constructing ETPs to comply with the rules of DoE.
However, they are reluctant to operate them because of high recurring cost of imported ETPs.
So, the river water quality remains almost the same although the ETPs are present in many
industries. That’s why indigenous low cost water treatment process should be developed and its
implementation should be mandatory by the Government. This action may change the present
situation. To cope up with the growing demand of water in Dhaka city, Dhaka WASA should
start surface water treatment of high capacity. But in this effort, the existing quality of river
water will increase the treatment cost to a great extent. That’s why; low cost effluent treatment
process and efficient solid waste management should be introduced. To improve the quality of
river water in and around Dhaka city immediate strong actions should be undertaken by DoE.
Efficient solid waste management system should be introduced by the government. Door to door
household waste collection, collection of medical wastes from the hospitals and sorting out at
sources of different wastes should be done. Solid waste is to be centrally processed to valuable
products. Existing water supply network system of Dhaka city should be modernized so that
quality and quantity are assured. Decentralization of economic activities is needed. Most of the
slum dwellers are not giving revenue to Dhaka WASA. They are illegally using the supply water.
Therefore it creates pressure on DWASA. If the economic activities are decentralized, these
people will leave Dhaka city and thus lower the demand of water in Dhaka. Social awareness
about the consequences of environmental degradation is to be created by the government through
mass media such as TV, radio and newspaper.

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References
APHA. (1995). “Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Waste Water”, American
Public Health Association, APHA, 20th Edition.

Arefin, M. A., Malli, A. (2018). “Sources and causes of water pollution in Bangladesh: A
technical overview”, BIBECHANA 15 (2018) 97-112.

Fatema, K., Begum, M., Zahid, M.A., & Hossain, M. (2018). “Water quality assessment of the
river Buriganga, Bangladesh”, Journal of Biodiversity Conservation and Bioresource
Management, 4(1), 47.

Islam, T. (1977). “Some characteristics of various waters in and around Dhaka City”, Civil
Engineering M.Sc. Thesis, BUET, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

JICA & DWASA. (1998). “The Study on the Sewage System in North Dhaka in the People’s
Republic of Bangladesh”, Progress Report, Nippon Jogesuido Sekkei Co., Ltd.

Sohel, K. M. A., Chowdhury, M. A. I., & Ahmed, M. F. (2003). “Surface water quality in and
around Dhaka City”, Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua, 52(2), 141–153.

“The Environment Conservation Rules”, 1997.

“The Environmental Conservation Act”, 1995.

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