Water quality and microbial contamination status of Madawachchiya, Padaviya and Kebithigollewa areas in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka

A significant portion of water sources in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, is contaminated with harmful bacteria and exceeds chemical quality standards. The study found that 32% of the 44 sampled locations were positive for Salmonella spp., a pathogen causing typhoid fever, with two heavily used springs among them. Additionally, most samples failed to meet Sri Lanka's drinking water standards for total coliform, E. coli, and chemical oxygen demand (COD), while 55% exhibited very hard water conditions, particularly in Padaviya. Conductivity levels exceeded safe limits at 25% of locations. Despite these issues, concentrations of nitrite-nitrogen, ammonia-nitrogen, and total phosphate were within acceptable ranges. The research employed standard protocols for sampling, transportation, and analysis to assess microbial and chemical contamination across ground and surface water sources in Madawachchiya, Padaviya, and Kebithigollewa areas.

Mahagamage, M. G. Y. L., & Manage, P. M. (2019). Water quality and microbial contamination status of Madawachchiya, Padaviya and Kebithigollewa areas in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka. Journal of Water and Land Development, 42(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.2478/jwld-2019-0039