Assessment of ground water quality using Quality Index for drinking purpose in Gajuwaka Industrial Area, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

The water quality index (WQI) for the groundwater of Gajuwaka Industrial Area,Visakhapatnam was assessed for two seasons in this study. This was determined by collecting the groundwater samples and subjecting the samples to a comprehensive physicochemical analysis. For calculating the WQI, the following 12 parameters have been considered: pH, Electrical Conductivity, total hardness, Total Alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, chloride, nitrate, sulphate, total dissolved solids, fluorides and Biological oxygen demand. The studies showed that the WQI for these samples ranged from 71.72 to 451.28. The high value of WQI has been found to be mainly due to the higher values of Total Dissolved Solids, nitrate, hardness, fluorides, and manganese in the groundwater. The analysis has been used to suggest models for predicting water quality. It also reveals that the groundwater of the area needs some degree of treatment before consumption and it also indicates that the people need to be protected from the perils of contamination.