The community-based longitudinal study was carried out in Chandigarh city, India from 2014 to 2016 with the objectives: (i) to collect information on bacteriological contamination of drinking water in Chandigarh; and (ii) to determine the pattern of variations in quality of water according to season, area and source. A simple random sampling strategy was used to collect drinking water samples from sources viz.hand pumps, tap and overhead tanks from different areas of Chandigarh. The seasonal variations in contamination of water according to area and source were analysed. Out of total 339 samples, only 34 (10.0%) were found to be contaminated. It was found that the contamination of water was higher during the pre-monsoon period although seasonal difference was not found to be significant (p=0.91). There were significant differencesin water contamination according to area (p=0.02) and source (p=0.00). The water being used in slums and rural areas for drinking purposes had higher contamination levels. This study found that drinking water supply in Chandigarh is susceptible to contamination. It has been advocated that an intensive and active interventions should be done by concerned authorities along with raising community’s awareness regarding water hygiene to reduce the problem of water contamination.
Impact Factor
2017: 6.614
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