Assessment of Ground Water Quality in Khartoum and Khartoum North

This study was conducted at Khartoum and Khartoum North (Bahri) to assess the ground water quality : Bacteriological , Chemical , and Physical parameters at the interval from August 2006 to March 2007. 197 samples were collected for the bacteriological analysis distributed as the following :- Samples from boreholes – samples after storage and samples from water distributed by vendors from boreholes not distributed by direct network , other samples taken from houses. The samples were taken in 250 ml tubes (analysis for Coliform – Thermotolerant coliform and E.coli). Samples taken for chemical and physical analysis depended on the number of target boreholes, 31 boreholes in the study area were analyzed using photometer , photolabs 12, and PH cond.340i. The study found that :- 1- All 100% of boreholes not served with direct network in Khartoum were not polluted , 50% of samples taken from water towers were polluted , 11.1%of samples taken from water distributed by vendors were polluted , 81.6% of samples taken from houses not distributed by direct network were polluted. 2- 25% of samples from boreholes distributed with direct network in Khartoum were polluted, 20% of samples taken from Assessment of Ground Water Quality in Khartoum and Khartoum North 10 water towers were polluted , 34.2% of samples taken from houses distributed by direct network were polluted. 3- All 100% of boreholes not distributed by direct network in Bahri were safe , and 100% of samples taken from water towers were polluted , and also100% of samples taken from water vendors were polluted , 82.1% of samples taken from houses not distributed by direct network were polluted. 4- 9.1% of boreholes distributed by direct network in Bahri is polluted , 16.7% of samples taken from water towers were polluted, 27.3% of samples collection from houses distributed by direct net work were polluted. 5- Samples analyzed for chemical and physical parameters agrees with WHO and Sudanese standards except one sample analyzed for fluoride showed 1.64 mg/L in Elescan Elshabia borehole, this value exceeded the WHO standards (1.5ppmF). This study comes out with many suggested recommendations , the important of which are : 1. Wells should be drilled as deep as possible to avoid contamination , and bacteriological check up of ground water should be done more frequently , to ensure early detection of possible contamination. 2. The design of septic tanks should be introduced , there fore the proper design. Assessment of Ground Water Quality in Khartoum and Khartoum North 11 3. Connects all wells not served with direct net work connect them with direct network and stop the water vendors. 4. Plan health education interventions among population in study area about water related diseases, control and preventions. 5. Application of legislatives acts and regulations for well drilling and proper disposal of effluents