Effect of piping and storage on the quality of tap water supplied to Tororo municipality

Abstract

Most town centers today are supplied with tap water by the National Water and Sewerage Cooperation. Water is made up of 2 hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom joined by a covalent bond. Water is exposed to contamination from industrial and agricultural activities. Water can be classified as ground and surface water. Water has both physical properties such as boiling point, melting point, density and chemical properties such as acidic and alkaline behavior. Before distribution, water undergoes a purification process with the steps; coagulation, sedimentation, filtration and chlorination. The system of supply used is intermittent instead of continuous. Water is purified, supplied to reservoirs and later distributed to the taps and this water is assumed to be safe for drinking after purification. This research study assessed the efficiency of the water supply system in Tororo Municipality by comparing the physio-chemical parameters at the purification plant before supply, with the parameters tested were pH, Total Dissolved Solids, total hardness and electrical conductivity. The pH of the samples ranged from 6.86-7.34 which varied from the one at the treatment plant, 6.66. The electrical conductivity of the samples ranged from 171.9-190. Total hardness ranged from 85-140. All the tested parameters deviated from the ones of the water picked from the treatment plant before supply.