Shallow Groundwater Quality of Mirpur City along the Upper Jhelum Canal

The present study was conducted along the upper Jhelum Canal to evaluate the shallow ground water quality of Mirpur city aquifer by assessing the physical (color, odor and turbidity), chemical (pH, TDS, Cl, F, NO3, Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb) and bacteriological (E.coli) parameters of fifteen shallow ground water samples. The samples were collected during November 2011 to March 2012, with 2_ month interval from five sites along the upper Jhelum Canal, which include, Bong village (50 feet, depth), Lehri Village (45 feet, depth), Chechian (70 feet Depth), Pothi village (80 feet depth) and District Courts Mirpur Building (150 feet depth). It was observed that color of shallow ground water samples varied from colorless to yellowish, odor varied from odorless to objectionable (OB) and turbidity varied from 2 to 4 NTU. The pH, TDS, Cl, F, NO3, Cu, Zn, Ni and Pb levels ranged from 7.2 to 7.8, 250 to 1099 ppm, 21.2 to 173.2 ppm, 0.14 to 0.68 ppm, 0.4 to 28.7 ppm, (BDL) Below Detection Level to 0.08ppm, 0.06 to 0.18 ppm BDL to 0.07 ppm, BDL to 0.11 ppm respectively. E coli were present in all shallow ground water samples except at District Court Mirpur Building. The turbidity, TDS (except at Lehri and Bong) Cl, F, NO3 , Cu and Zn levels were found within the permissible limits of WHO, US- EPA, Pak- EPA for drinking water quality. The Pb, Ni, and E coli (Except at District Courts Mirpur Building ) levels exceeded the limits set for drinking water quality by WHO, US- EPA, Pak- EPA. The study also recommended various measures and practices for control and mitigation of shallow ground water contamination.