Physico-Chemical and Bacteriological Analysis of Drinking Water of Springs of Sherqilla, District Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Water is one of the greatest gifts given by nature to fulfill all the essential requirements of living organisms including growth, maintenance of body and performance of all life supporting activities (Simpi et al., 2011). Water is an important resource for bio-diversity, food security, environmental resources, agriculture and for sustaining all forms of life (Munair, 2003). The availability of safe drinking water plays an important role in human This study was conducted to determine the physico-chemical and bacteriological status of drinking water of Mishto uch (good spring) and Bar (big spring) springs of Sherqilla village, District Ghizer during winter and spring seasons. A total of twenty one samples were collected and analyzed by membrane filtration method. At Misto uch, the mean temperature was 9.7?C and 15.4?C, turbidity was 0.44 NTU and 0.67 NTU, electric conductivity was 147.4 ?S/cm and 226.7 ?S/cm, total dissolved solids was 99 mg/l and 118 mg/l, pH was 6.8 and 6.8 and total phosphorus was 48.3 ?gP/L and 64.3 ?gP/L in both the seasons. Whereas Bar spring the mean values in both the seasons were 10.8oC and 16.0oC for temperature, 0.21 NTU and 0.36 NTU for turbidity, 177 ?S/cm and 268.8 ?S/cm for electric conductivity, 104.8 mg/l and 115 mg/l for total dissolved solids, 6.9 and 6.9 and 58 ?gP/L and 94 ?gP/L for total phosphorus. Escherichia coli, Enterrococci and total bacterial count at the eye of spring of Mishto uch was zero during winter while other sampling sites showed an average of 17.4 CFU/100ml and 55.4 CFU/100ml E.coli, 15.4 CFU/100ml and 20.7 CFU/100ml Enterrococci, and 26.4CFU/100ml and 127.7 CFU/100ml TBC in both the seasons at Mishto uch. All the sampling sites of Bar spring did not show E.coli and Enterrococci in both seasons, TBC was within range of 7.0 CFU/100ml and 64.3 CFU/100ml in both the seasons. The results will help to improve the quality of drinking water for the community of Sherqilla.