KARACHI: Water supplies to Liaquatabad Town were found to be highly contaminated with traces of metals and fecal material in a Karachi University (KU) study recently published in an international journal.

The study — Appraisal of piped water quality supplied to Liaquatabad Town, Karachi by using Water Quality Index and Geospatial Assessment — is published in the EQA - International Journal of Environmental Quality.

It’s conducted by Assistant Professor Dr Aamir Alamgir and his team — Dr Noor Fatima, Shah Noor Khan, Aliza Naseer, Aliza Khan, Muhammad Noman Siddiqui, Fahim Jafri — at KU’s Institute of Environmental Studies (IES).

The team collected 23 piped water samples from Liaquatabad Town in 2022 and examined their properties and level of purity.

Lead investigator Dr Alamgir blames faulty distribution system, broken pipelines for water contamination

The researchers found 95.6 per cent samples unsafe for drinking due to metal contamination. E. coli was found in about 74pc of the samples while more than 70pc of the samples were contaminated with fecal matter.

“Only two samples were excessively turbid, while the rest were only slightly turbid, providing ideal conditions for the growth of numerous pathogens and parasites. Some samples have higher levels of total dissolved solids, chlorides and hardness which are harmful to public health and could cause bad taste, kidney stones and cardiovascular illnesses,” the study says.

The team found that traces of lead, nickel and iron in high quantities in samples. In addition, 78.27pc of the samples had high arsenic content.

“The effects of high metal consumption on human health have been extensively studied and have been proved to be detrimental. Even at low levels, prolonged use of arsenic-contaminated water can result in diabetes, heart, lung, and cancer ailments,” the study says.

Speaking to Dawn, Principal Investigator Dr Alamgir said that the faulty distribution system, leaking or broken lines and mixing of drinking and sewerage lines were major sources of water contamination.

The presence of some metals such as sulfate indicated that domestic water was getting contaminated with industrial effluent at some state of distribution, he explained.

“In Pakistan, poor quality of water accounts for 40pc of all fatalities and 30pc of all diseases. The most frequent reason for death, in children is diarrhea. Studies indicate that every fifth individual in Pakistan suffers from waterborne disease as a result of polluted water,” he said.

Earlier, the team had done a detailed water analysis of the whole city followed by studies of high-risk areas and found similar results.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2024