Environmental Assessment and Analysis of Chemical Properties of Drinking Water Using Geo-Spatial Technologies: Examples from Lahore Metropolitan

Abstract

The contamination of drinking water in Pakistan is a serious threat to its citizens. Urbanization leads to an increased demand of drinking water supply that leads to excessive drawdown that further causes lowering of water table. The current WASA (Water and Sanitation Authority) supply network does not fulfill the demand of a growing metropolitan city of Lahore. The drawdown of Lahore is absolutely reliant on Water and Sanitation Authority (WASA) water supply network that causes numerous problems due to inappropriate management of groundwater capital and increased urbanization. This research investigates groundwater qualities: Alkalinity, Arsenic, Calcium, chloride, Total Hardness, Magnesium, Nitrate, pH and Total Dissolved solids using geographic information system (GIS). Residents of high concentrated towns, like Samnabad Town, Allama Iqbal Town, Gulberg, Data Ganj Bakhsh Town, Ravi Town and Wahga town witness cut-down of water supply mainly due to over burden on tube wells. Chemical properties of drinking water show that most of the parameters were within the allowable limits of WHO whereas the pH, and arsenic values are higher than the average. Arsenic is a carcinogenic element which causes cancer and is higher in the drinking water. Finally, this study identifies highly contaminated groundwater zones and makes it convenient to find actual pollutants. Therefore, plans are needed to protect the aquifer.