A comparative study of the ground and surface water quality with reference to heavy metal concentrations in the Imphal valley Manipur, India

The main water sources for domestic purposes in Manipur are the untreated ponds. It is also inadequate, so people do rely on ground water too. Therefore present paper analyzes and discusses in details the parameters such as pH, turbidity, TDS, alkalinity, total hardness, Cl⁻, F⁻, Ca⁻, Mg, Na, K, NO₃⁻⁻, PO₄⁻⁻, Fe, Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn in water samples collected from the surface and the ground water from Imphal valley, Manipur, and findings were compared with the International Standards as well as Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for drinking water quality. The parameters like turbidity, alkalinity, Na, Hg and Cd contents in few sites of surface water are alarming and TDS, alkalinity, hardness, Na, K, Fe and Cd in the ground water showed very wide variations and crossed the maximum permissible limit of WHO and ICMR.