Study of Ground Water Quality of Ulhasnagar city in Thane District, Maharashtra, India using Multivariate and Microbial Analyses

Water samples were collected from 25 sampling sites during the pre-monsoon season in Ulhasnagar city, Thane district in Mumbai. Different physicochemical parameters were measured and the samples were also analyzed for dissolved metal concentrations. The surface water physicochemical parameters included pH, temperature, turbidity, hardness, total alkalinity, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductance (EC) and turbidity while the dissolved metals were Cd, Cu, Pb and Cr. The ranges for the physicochemical parameters were 28-32 degrees C for temperature, 6.8-8.5 for pH, 0.4-12.8 mg/l for DO, 0-100 NTU for turbidity, 22-580 ppm (as CaCO3) for hardness, 44-61 ppm. for total alkalinity, 250-520 mg/l for TDS and 554-1040 mhos/cm while the dissolved metals (mg/l) were 0.001-0.008 for Cd, 0.002-0.012 for Cu, 0.04-1.30 for Pb and 0.000-0.15 for Cr. Based on multivariate analysis and correlation studies, lead was identified as major dissolved metal contaminant in most of the analyzed samples. Microbial analysis was also carried out by testing the samples for E. coli and thermo tolerant bacteria and ranges for these were from 2-18 ppm for E. Coli and 2-19 ppm for the thermo tolerant bacteria.