Table 5.
Physicochemical and bacteriological parameters of point-of-use water samples in households in Dolakha and Ramechhap districts, Nepal (sampling period: June 2015).
| Category | Parameter | Unit | Range | Overall N (%) | Dolakha n (%) | Ramechhap n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical characteristics | Turbidity | NTU * | >5 | 131 (23.3) | 115 (25.9) | 16 (13.6) |
| 2–5 | 431 (76.7) | 329 (74.1) | 102 (86.4) | |||
| pH | 6.5–8.5 | 562 (100.0) | 444 (100.0) | 118 (100.0) | ||
| Chemical characteristics | Free residual chlorine | mg/L | 0.3–0.5 | 121 (21.5) | 105 (23.6) | 16 (13.6) |
| 0.1–0.2 | 441 (78.5) | 339 (76.4) | 102 (86.4) | |||
| Total residual chlorine | mg/L | >0.5 | 2 (0.4) | 1 (0.2) | 1 (0.8) | |
| 0.2–0.5 | 548 (97.5) | 439 (98.9) | 109 (92.4) | |||
| 0–0.199 | 12 (2.1) | 4 (0.9) | 8 (6.8) | |||
| Microbiological characteristics | Thermo-tolerant coliforms (TTC) | CFU/100 mL ** | <1 | 408 (72.6) | 333 (75.0) | 75 (63.6) |
| 1–10 | 42 (7.5) | 24 (5.4) | 18 (15.3) | |||
| 11–100 | 42 (7.5) | 36 (81.1) | 6 (5.1) | |||
| >100 | 70 (12.5) | 51 (11.5) | 19 (16.1) |
* Nephelometric turbidity unit; ** Colony forming unit.