Detailed evaluation of physicochemical properties and microbial activities of Hanna Lake and Spin Karez

Abstract

Abstract Access to clean drinking water is a major issue in many regions of the world, particularly in areas where groundwater is scarce. This study aims at determining the water quality of two lakes. Some parameters in this investigation were found to be above the WHO limit, while most were within the limit. For instance, the average value of electrical conductivity in Hanna Lake was 537.4 μS/cm, while it was 758.9 μS/cm in Spin Karez, which was above the WHO limits (>500 μS/cm). Turbidity in Hanna Lake was 4.17 nephelometric turbidity units (NTU), within the WHO limits (<5 NTU), while in Spin Karez, it was 9.5 NTU above the WHO limits, and dissolved oxygen concentration average values were 9.06 mg/l in Hanna Lake and 8.86 mg/l in Spin Karez, above the permitted limits provided by the WHO (6.5–8 mg/l). The study also found that both lakes had high concentrations of microbial colonies, with 65 CFU/100 ml in Hanna Lake and 56 CFU/100 ml in Spin Karez. Based on these findings, an efficient water treatment technique should be adopted to remove these highly concentrated parameters in both lakes for purified water and future water demands.