Kabul Polytechnic University

Water Supply And Environmental Engineering Department

Water Quality (‫)کیفیت آب‬

Introduction

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INTRODUCTION Total surface area up to 510 million
sq. km, 73% water
• Water - most important liquid on Earth
• Without water, life on Earth is impossible

Quantity
Type of water
Mln km3 m
Total Quantity of water 1,600 3,100
• Chemically bound 230 450
• Salt water 1,330 2,610
• Ice and snow 30 59
• damp 0.015 0.030
Total quantity of fresh water 8.2 16.1
• In the underground 8.0 15.7
• In the rivers and lakes 0.2 0.4

 Only 0.5% Fresh water

 majority in the deep underground (over 800 m deep)
 Lakes and rivers ~ 40,000 m3 per human being

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IMPORTANCE OF WATER
 Water is the medium of life.
 All organisms are composed primarily of water.
 Liquid water is the medium in which all cellular
chemical reactions occur.
 Essential for survival and growth of organism.

Acts as the vector for many diseases caused by bacteria,

viruses, protozoa and worms.

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HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE

Exchange of water between air, land, sea, living plants

and animals.

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COMPOUNDS IN THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

• Rivers: 100 mg/l suspended

matter, 1000 mg/l dissolved
matter

• Mass flow 1640 tons/sec

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INPUTS TO WATER

• Beside natural inputs, compounds are introduced into the water by technical processes like
waste water treatment or disinfection of water.
• Furthermore, compounds are introduced into the water by contact e.g. with a water pipe.

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CONTAMINATION OF WATER
• Natural or Artificial (manmade)
• Pollution sources: point or non-point (diffuse)
Pollutants
diffuse sources more problematic

Conservative
• Self – purification > decay Non conservative
most organics, some
• Decay > particular pollutant, the inorganics and many Inorganic substances
microorganisms
receiving water quality, temperature
and other environmental factors.
• Non conservative pollutants > Dilution

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CONTAMINATION OF WATER

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TYPES OF DRINKING WATER CONTAMINANTS
• Suspended solids • nitrogen, bleach,
(Organic/inorgani salts, pesticides,
cs Soil erosion) metals, toxins,
pharmaceuticals,
cosmetics, etc.

Physical Chemical

Radiological Biological

• cesium, • bacteria,
plutonium and viruses,
uranium protozoan,
parasites

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CLASSIFICATION OF WATER POLLUTANTS bacteria, viruses, protozoan, & parasites
Oxygen Demanding wastes
(biodegradable organics), Synthetic Pathogens
Organic Compounds (pesticides,
detergents, food additives, Nutrients agriculture run-off, wastewater
pharmaceuticals, insecticides, paints, Organic & from fertilizer industry and
pollutants agriculture sewage (N2, P) -> eutrophication
synthetic fibers, plastics, solvents, runoff
VOCs, endocrine Disruptors,
antibiotics )
immiscible liquids) Oil (
Mining and processing of ores,
Pollutants Coarse
Radio matter, Leaves, plastic, silt, sand and
research, agriculture, medical active Suspended minerals eroded from land.
and industrial activities, pollutants solids &
nuclear power plants, nuclear sediments
weapons (Sr, Cs, Pu, U,)
Inorganic mineral acids, inorganic salts, trace elements,
discharge of hot water from thermal Thermal pollutants metals, metals compounds, complexes of
pollution (salts,
power plants, nuclear power plants, and metals) metals with organic compounds, cyanides,
industries where water is used as sulphates; etc.
coolant.

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SOLIDS IN WATER Separation with glass fiber filter (0.45 – 2 µm)

Salts, ions, nitrates, Total solids

phosphates, trace (TS) Silt, clay,
elements, etc vegetation,
etc

Total Total
dissolved suspended
solids (TDS) solids (TSS) Turbidity

Volatile Fixed Volatile Fixed

suspended suspended dissolved dissolved
solids (VSS) solids (FSS) solids (VDS) solids (FDS)

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 SOLIDS IN WATER
 TS = Residue remaining after the sample is being evaporated and dried at (103 – 105)°C
 TSS = Portion of the TS retained on a filter after being dried at 105°C
 TDS = Portion of the TS passed through a filter after being dried at 105°C
 TVS = VSS + VDS = Volatilized and burned off at 500 ± 50°C
 TFS = FSS + FDS = Remained after TS ignited at 500 ± 50°C

desiccator

TSS Glass Fiber Filter, Pore Size 1.5

µm, Diameter 70 mm crucible

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TDS OF DIFFERENT WATERS
Water can be classified by the level of total dissolved solids (TDS) in the water:

o Fresh water: TDS is less than 1,000 mg/L

o Brackish water: TDS = 1,000 to 10,000 mg/L
o Saline water: TDS = 10,000 to 35,000 mg/L
o Hypersaline:TDS greater than 35,000 mg/L

 Drinking water generally has a TDS below 500 mg/L.

 Higher TDS Fresh Water is drinkable but taste may be objectionable.

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DISSOLVED GASES IN NATURAL WATER
No naturally occurring body of water is free of dissolved gases.
Spatial and temporal distribution is dependent on factors (physical, chemical and biological)
Dissolved gases

Oxygen Carbon dioxide Others

Methane
 oxygen and carbon dioxide are direct indicators of Hydrogen Sulphide
biological activity of water bodies.
Nitrogen
 Hydrogen sulphide and methane occur in small
Ammonia
localized amounts due to bacterial activity
 The solubility of gases in water decreases with Sulphur dioxide
increasing temperature and decrease of pressure. Hydrogen
Carbon Monoxide

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DISSOLVED GASES IN NATURAL WATER
1. Oxygen (O2)

Main sources of dissolved oxygen:

a) Atmosphere
b) By photosynthetic activity of aquatic plants
The main causes of decrease of oxygen:

a) Respiration of animals and plants

b) Decomposition of organic matter
c) Reduction due to other gases
d) By physical process

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DISSOLVED GASES IN NATURAL WATER
2. Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Main sources:
a) Atmosphere
b) Rainwater and inflowing ground water
c) Byproduct of Decomposing Organic Matter (DOM)
d) Respiration of Animals and Plants
The main causes of decrease of CO2 :

a) Photosynthesis of aquatic plants

b) Agitation of water
c) Evaporation

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DRINKING WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
Describes the quality parameters set for drinking water.

There are no universally recognized and accepted international standards for drinking water.

The following regulations are valid:

 European Drinking Water Directive
 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
 World Health Organization
 Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

Definitions:
 Limiting value:
value determined by a norm or regulation, which is not allowed to be exceeded or alternatively to
fall below.
 Guiding value:
value determined by a norm or regulation, which should be adhered.

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DRINKING WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
Parameters Unit Max WHO permissible value
Color - acceptable
Odor - Unobjectionable
Taste - Agreeable
Turbidity NTU 5
pH 6.5 – 8.5
EC µs/cm 400
TDS mg/l 500 - 1000
Hardness mg/l 500
Na+ mg/l 200
Ca2+ mg/l 100
Mg 2+ mg/l 50
NO−
3 mg/l 50
SO2−
4 mg/l 250
Fe2+ mg/l 0.3
Mn2+ mg/l 0.1 – 0.5
E. Coli MPN/100ml Nil/100ml

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GROUNDWATER QUALITY IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

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GROUNDWATER QUALITY IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Nitrates

Distribution of values exceeding the limits for Percentage of nitrate concentrations in urban and rural areas of Kabul Basin (DACAAR, March, 2010)
nitrate in groundwater (Houben & Himmelsbach,
2004)

• Sewage, leakage from septic tanks, pit latrines and waste disposal are the main causes
• Health hazard (conversion to Nitrite) > changes normal form of hemoglobin (methemoglobin) >
Oxygen transfer problems in blood
• Conversion double in infants (methemoglobinemia "blue baby syndrome”.)

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GROUNDWATER QUALITY IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Hardness
• Calcium (Ca2+) and magnesium (Mg2+) ions are the main causes of water hardness
• No evidence is available to document harm to human health from drinking harder water.
• Affects the taste of drinking water
• Scaling of the water systems

Classification mg/l or ppm

Soft 0 – 17.1
Slightly hard 17.1 – 60
Moderately hard 60 – 120
Hard 120 – 180
Very hard 180 and over

Percentage of carbonate hardness in urban and rural areas of Kabul Basin

(DACAAR, March, 2010)

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GROUNDWATER QUALITY IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Boron
• Often found in rock and soil
• Much of the boron found in groundwater and drinking water is naturally occurring.
• Production of consumer and agricultural products and sewage system
• Affects the reproductive system
• Birth defects in the offspring of pregnant females.
• Negative impact on plant growth.

Percentage of boron concentration in the urban and rural areas of Kabul Basin (DACAAR, March, 2010)

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GROUNDWATER QUALITY IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
Bacteria
 Fecal coliforms and E. coli
 Total Coliforms

Causes

• Countless drainage pit ways (sewage,

road site ditches, irrigation canals,
ponds and rivers beds).
• Cover soil contamination by human
wastes and solid disposal load.
• High permeability of overlying layers of
Faecal coliform contamination in Kabul Basin groundwater (DACAAR, 2009)

aquifer

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KABUL RIVER POLLUTED WITH SOLID WASTES AND WASTEWATER

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THE PUBLIC GARBAGE DUMP HAS NO UNDERGROUND SEALING

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TASK OF WATER CONDITIONING (TREATMENT/PURIFICATION)

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TASK OF WATER CONDITIONING (TREATMENT)
X Regrowth of germs
X Incrustation
X Corrosion
Physical
Chemical

Requirement according to
national/international
standards and
regulations

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WATER TREATMENT PROCESSES

Screening/sieving
Depend essentially on physical properties of
Sedimentation
Physical the impurity, e.g. particle size, specific
Filtration gravity, viscosity, etc.
Gas transfer
Processes

Coagulation Depend on the chemical properties of an

Chemical Precipitation impurity or which utilize the chemical
properties of added reagents.
Ion exchange

Aerobic processes Utilize biochemical reactions to remove soluble

Biological
Anaerobic Processes or colloidal impurities, usually organics.

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WATER TREATMENT PROCESSES
We use combined processes for
Processes intensified removal and safety

Particulate substances Dissolved substances

Screen or sieve Oxidation

Sedimentation Gas exchange (aeration)
Coagulation Softening
Filtration Desalination
Flotation Adsorption
Biodegradation

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