Studies on the Ground Water and Surface Water Quality in the surroundings of Kureepuzha Solid Waste dumping site in Kollam District, South India

The physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of ground water and surface water in the surroundings of Kureepuzha waste disposal site in Kollam district, Kerala was studied during the period December 2008 to July 2009. The open well water samples and lake water samples were collected from the selected stations during the post-monsoon (Dec.2008), pre-monsoon (April 2009) and monsoon (July 2009) seasons. The present study showed that most of the physico-chemical parameters of all the ground water samples collected in three seasons are within the permissible limit prescribed by WHO drinking water quality standards, but the acidic pH value, low oxygen content, slightly higher values for nitrate, phosphate, fluoride and higher values of iron Shows the contamination of the open wells by the leachates from the solid wastes dumping area. Microbiological analysis also revealed that all the ground water (open well) samples are bacteriologically contaminated in all the three seasons. Water quality analysis also shows that the ground water quality in the surroundings of solid waste dumping sites is in the very had category In the case of the surface water body studied, the water quality index values obtained showed that station S-5 come under the very bad category and all other stations are under bud category. Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) of the ground water and surface water samples were calculated for evaluating the suitability of water for irrigation and the SAR values showed that both the ground water and surface water in the study area are good for irrigation purposes.