An integrated approach for quality assessment of drinking water using GIS: A case study of Lower Dir

The present study was carried out to assess the quality of drinking water quality in district lower dir located in khyber pakhtunkhwa,northern pakistan. a total of 33 water samples were collected from different locations of the study area. the parameters studied were ph,electrical conductivity,alkalinity,total hardness,calcium hardness,magnesium hardness,total solids,total dissolved solids,total suspended solids,sodium,chlorides,nitrites,sulphate and potassium. thematic maps were prepared for all the studied parameters using arcgis 9.3 platform. the results were compared against the standard permissible limits suggested by world health organization (who) for drinking water. the results showed that the water parameters of the areas distant from the panjkora river lie within the who suggested permissible limits,whereas the water quality of the riverine areas is alarming for some parameters. it is suggested to monitor water on regular basis to avoid its further deterioration and minimize its devastating impacts on the local society. the domestic wastes and agricultural run offs should be treated properly before disposing off. the wastes should be dumped to proper disposal sites instead of river banks. © 2014 national centre of excellence in geology. all rights reserved.