ASSESMENT OF WATER QUALITY IN RIVER

CAUVERY TRICHIRAPPALLI DISTRICT

TAMILNADU

Presented By
Mr. Abimanyu G
Department Of Environmental Sciences
Bishop Heber College,Thiruchirapalli

Under the Guidance of

Dr. C.Ravichandran
Associate professor
Department of Environmental Sciences
Bishop Heber College
 Introduction
• Safe and readily available water is important for public health, whether it is used for drinking,
domestic use, food production or recreational purposes.
• Improved water supply and sanitation, and better management of water resources, can boost
countries' economic growth and can contribute greatly to poverty reduction (WHO)
• In 2022, globally, at least 1.7 billion people use a drinking water source contaminated with
faeces.
• Microbial contamination of drinking-water as a result of contamination with faeces poses the
greatest risk to drinking-water safety.
• Safe and sufficient water facilitates the practice of hygiene, which is a key measure to prevent
not only diarrhoeal diseases, but acute respiratory infections and numerous neglected tropical
diseases.
• Microbiologically contaminated drinking water can transmit diseases such as diarrhoea,
cholera, dysentery, typhoid and polio and is estimated to cause approximately 505 000
diarrhoeal deaths each year.
 Objectives

• To analyze the physico-chemical parameters of water samples from

river Cauvery.
• To analyze the biological parameters of water samples from river
Cauvery
• To investigate the potential impact around Cauvery river basins.
Materials and Methods
 Study Area

Fig.1 Study Area – River Cauvery

 Sample Collection
 Surface water samples were collected from five different
stations along the River Cauvery in the Tiruchirappalli District:
Mukkombu, Kambarasampetai, Killamullakudi, Vengur, and
Kallanai.
 The study was conducted from November 2023 to January
2024
 Physico-chemical and Biological Parameters
S. Parameters
No.
Physico-Chemical Parameters
1 pH
2 Electrical conductivity
3 Turbidity mg/l
4 Dissolved Oxygen (DO), mg/l
5 Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), mg/l
6 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), mg/l
7 Total hardness mg/l
8 Chloride mg/l
9 Fluoride mg/l
10 Nitrate mg/l
11 Total alkalinity mg/l
12 Sulphide mg/l
13 Calcium Hardness mg/l
14 Magnesium Hardness mg/l
15 Sodium mg/l
16 Potassium mg/l
17 Phosphorous mg/l
18 Total Dissolved Solids, mg/l
19 Total Solids mg/l
20 Total Suspended Solids mg/l
Biological Parameters
01 Coliforms

APHA, 1982
Results and Discussion
 Results of Physico-chemical and Biological parameters
S. No. Parameters Kallanai Vengur Kila Kamparasa Mukkombu
Mullakudi mpettai
Physico-Chemical Parameters
1 pH 7.8 7.4 7.41 7.84 7.93
2 Electrical conductivity 1992 1187 1198 1097 1107
3 Turbidity mg/l 0.3 0.4 0.9 2.6 1.8
4 Dissolved Oxygen (DO), mg/l 7.29 7.69 8.1 7.29 7.69
5 Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), mg/l 5.2 2.5 2.8 4.3 2.3
6 Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), mg/l 8 56 60 44 16
7 Total hardness mg/l 275 265 305 285 275
8 Chloride mg/l 145.38 129.42 134.74 118.79 136.52
9 Fluoride mg/l 0.58 0.56 0.62 0.51 0.78
10 Nitrate mg/l 4 3.8 4.4 2 2
11 Total alkalinity mg/l 54.56 52.8 56.32 51.04 52.8
12 Sulphide mg/l 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5
13 Calcium Hardness mg/l 52.104 62.124 68.136 56.112 66.132
14 Magnesium Hardness mg/l 35.235 26.73 32.085 33.235 26.73
15 Sodium mg/l 106.62 105.9 104.57 99.44 101.06
16 Potassium mg/l 9.49 9.33 9.02 7.05 7.22
17 Phosphorous mg/l 1 0.13 0.14 0.1 0.1
18 Total Dissolved Solids, mg/l 326 306 384 272 298
19 Total Solids mg/l 422 480 418 338 398
20 Total Suspended Solids mg/l 96 174 34 66 100
Biological Parameters
21 Coliforms (E.coli) <1600 <1600 <1600 <1600 <1600
 pH
8.5 EC mho/cm
8.4
7.93 2500
8 7.8 7.84 1992
2000
7.6 7.4 7.41 1500
1500 1187 1198
7.2 1097 1107
1000
6.8
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Turbidity DO mg/l
6 8.2 8.1
5 8
5 8
4 7.8 7.69 7.69
3 2.6 7.6
1.8 7.4 7.29 7.29
2 0.9
1 0.3 0.4 7.2
0 7
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 BOD mg/l COD mg/l
6 5 5.2 300 250
4.3 250
4 2.8 200
2.5 2.3
2 150
100 56 60 44
0 50 8 16
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Total Hardness mg/l

Chloride mg/l
600 500
500 300 250
400 305
275 265 285 275 200 145.38
300 129.42 134.74 118.79 136.52
200 100
100
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 Fluoride mg/l
1.5
Nitrate mg/l
1.6
12 10
1.2 10
0.78 8
0.8 0.58 0.56 0.62 6
0.51 4 3.8 4.4
0.4 4 2 2
2
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Alkalinity mg/l Calcium Hardness mg/l

120 100 80 75
68.136 66.132
80 56.32 62.124
54.56 52.8 51.04 52.8 60 52.104 56.112
40
40
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 Sodium mg/l
250
Magnesium Hardness mg/l 200
120 200
120 150
106.62 105.9 104.57 99.44 101.06
80 100
35.235 26.73 32.085 33.235 26.73
40 50
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Phosphorous mg/l
Potassium mg/l 1.2 1 1
12 1
12 9.49 9.33 9.02 0.8
8 7.05 7.22 0.6
0.4
4 0.13 0.14
0.2 0.1 0.1
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 TDS mg/l
600
500
500
384
400 326 306 272 298
300
200
100
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TSS mg/l
200
174
160 150

120 96 100
80 66

40 34

0
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 Summary and Conclusion
• Surface water samples collected from five stations in the Cauvery River basin at
Tiruchirappalli District during November 2023 to January 2024 were analyzed for
various physico-chemical and biological parameters.
• The parameters examined included turbidity, electrical conductivity, pH, total hardness,
chloride, fluoride, nitrate, alkalinity, sulphate, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, sodium,
potassium, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical
Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Solids (TS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and Total
Dissolved Solids (TDS) and total coliforms
• The results indicated that most of the parameters were within the permissible limits set
by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for drinking water at all five stations. However,
Total Suspended Solids (TSS) exceeded the permissible level of 174mg/l at Vengur
followed by Electrial conductivity (EC) exceeded the permissible level of 1992 mho/cm
at Kallanai and E-coli (<1600MPN/100ml) at all locations. This could be attributed to
agricultural runoff, open defication, sewage discharge, and industrial effluents are
suspected as probable factors of water pollution.
Thank You