International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Impact Factor (2012): 3.358 Volume 3 Issue 10, October 2014 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Qualitative Analysis of Water Quality through Index Method: A Case Study of Firozabad City (India) Nikhat Bano 1 , Ateeque Ahmad 2 1 Research scholar, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002, Uttar Pradesh, India 2 Professor, Department of Geography, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh -202002, Uttar Pradesh, India Abstract: The present study intended to calculate the Water Quality Index of Firozabad ground water in order to assess the qualitative aspect of drinking water supply of the city by comparing it with existing standards for important parameters. Water Quality Index is calculated from physico-chemical analysis of eight parameters taken together, which ranges from 235.56 to 576.59 indicating the heavy pollution load in water. The result of this study indicate that the drinking water supply of the city do not conform the recommendation standards, and hence it is suggested to take all necessary precautionary measures before it is sent to public consumption to avoid adverse health impacts and to prevent various intestinal epidemics. It is concluded that WQI is a useful tool and can be used in comparing the water quality of different sources. Keywords: physico-chemical analysis, water quality index, qualitative aspect, drinking water 1. Introduction Water, the most essential supporting element for the survival of human life gives full support in the movement, circulation and cycling of nutrients. It is interesting to note that the requirement of water for various purposes is increasing at a rapid rate on the one hand, while sufficient potable quality of water is deteriorating and its pollution level is going up at a fast rate on the other. However, out of 1500 km 2 of water present in the hydrosphere, merely 1% is available for the fulfillment of the needs of human beings and it is obtainable from the such sources as groundwater, river, lakes, soil profile, atmosphere and biological system, though 99% comes from groundwater (Singh. L 2010). In general, the quality of water is equally important as the quantity. Therefore, water quality is considered as an important factor to judge environment changes which are strongly associated with social and economic development (Darapu, et al 2011). According to WHO organization, about 80% of all the diseases in human beings are caused by water. Once the groundwater is contaminated, its quality cannot be restored by stopping the pollutants from the source. It therefore becomes imperative to regularly monitor the quality of groundwater and to device ways and means to protect it. Contamination of groundwater by domestic, industrial effluents and agricultural activity is a serious problem faced by developing countries. The industrial waste water, sewage sludge and solid waste materials are currently being discharged into the environment indiscriminately. These materials enter subsurface aquifers resulting in the pollution of irrigation and drinking water (Girija, T.R. et al., 2007). Therefore, the assessment of water quality is very important for knowing its suitability for various purposes. Water quality index (WQI ) indicates the quality of water in terms of index number for any intended use. It is defined as a rating reflecting the composite influence of different water quality parameters were taken for calculation of water quality index (Rao et al.,2010). The concept of indices to represent gradations in water quality was first proposed by Horton (1965) then it developed by several researchers like Brown et al (1970) and improved by Deininger (Scottish development department, 1975). The index results represents the level of water quality in a given water basin, such as ponds, lake, river or stream (srinivas, J. 2013). Many researchers in india have studied water quality for different purposes. Dakad, N.K. (2008) studied to know the ground water pollution and its suitability for drinking and domestic purposes in Jhabua town of Madhya Pradesh. Rao, C.S (2010) calculated water quality index in order to assess the suitability of water collected from different areas in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. Srinivas, J. (2013) determined water quality index in Kakinada industrial areas of Andhra Pradesh. 2. Material and Methods Water samples were collected in pre cleaned plastic bottles of 2 liters and were analyzed for water quality parameters like pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, total alkalinity, calcium magnesium and chlorides as per standard method 2002. Water samples of bore well were collected from three selected sites namely Agra Gate (S1), Suhag Nagar (S2) and Raja Ka Tal (S3). In this study, for the calculation of water quality index, eight important parameters were chosen. The WQI has been calculated by using the standards of drinking water quality recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Further, quality rating or sub index (qn) was calculated with weighted arithmetic index method using the following expression. qn = 100 (Vn – Vio) / (Sn – Vio) (Let there be n water quality parameters and quality rating or sub index (qn) corresponding to nth parameter is a number reflecting the relative value of this parameter in the polluted water with respect to its standard permissible value). qn = Quality rating for the nth Water quality parameter. Vn = Estimated value of the nth parameter at a given sampling station. Paper ID: OCT14340 1630