Surface water quality assessment for the suitability of drinking and domestic purposes in West Bokaro coalfield, India

The surface water quality of West Bokaro coalfield area was investigated for its suitability for drinking and domestic uses. For this purpose, 28 surface water samples were collected from rivers and ponds and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness, major cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+) and major anions (HCO3- F-, Cl-, NO3-, SO42-) concentrations of both the seasons. pH of the analyzed samples indicates slightly alkaline nature of the water samples. TDS in the pre-monsoon season of surface water varied from 130 to 1023 mg/L with an average value of 573 mg/L. The concentration of the TDS in the pre- monsoon season of surface water varied from 130 to 1023 mg/L with an average value of 573 mg/L. HCO3- and SO42- are dominant anions and Ca2+and Na+ as the dominant cations in both the seasons. In most samples, the analyzed parameters are within the desirable limits and water is potable for domestic purposes. However, concentrations of EC, TDS, TH, SO42-, Ca2+, and Na+ exceed the desirable limit at few sites and needs treatment before its utilization.