International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) |Volume IX, Issue IX, September 2022|ISSN 2321-2705
Assessment of Water Quality in Different Inlet and Outlet Canals of Kurunegala Lake, Sri Lanka
Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Shiromi Himalika Dissanayaka, Kithalawa Arachchilage Supun Prabodha, Karthigayini Sacthivel
Department of Agricultural Engineering and Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka.
Abstract: Kurunegala Lake is one of the major drinking water supplying tanks in Kurunegala, Sri Lanka. Water quality assessment is vital for the sustainable management of drinking water resources. This study evaluated the temporal variability of water quality in different inlets and outlet canals of Kurunegala Lake. Three major inlets and one outlet canals connected to Kurunegala were identified, and one sampling location was selected from each of these canals. Water samples data were collected from each selected location in a one-month interval for three years. Water quality parameters were determined in each water sample, such as pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Dissolved Oxygen Level (DO), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Nitrate-nitrogen (NO3–N), and Available Phosphorus (Av.P) concentrations. This study showed that pH, DO, NO3–N, and Av.P of some of the water samples tested were within permissible levels according to WHO & SLS drinking water standards, CEA act. The inlet and outlet canals showed a temporal and spatial variation in water quality parameters during the study period. The results conclude that there is an impact of surrounding land use on water pollution in inlet water canals connected to Kurunegala Lake. Therefore, a pollution management plan is required to prevent further pollution by conducting future research.
Keywords: Land use, Drinking water, Kurunegala Lake, Pollution, Surface water quality
I. INTRODUCTION
While about 70 % of the earth surface is covered by water, 97 % is in the oceans. A significant fraction of freshwater is stored as groundwater and frozen as polar ice; only 0.5% is available for human consumption (Baker & Aldridge, 2016). Water is continuously circulated between global reservoirs: the oceans, atmosphere, land surface, soils, plants, animals, etc. When the water drains from the land surface, it carries the residues from the land. Surface runoff is an essential source of non-point source pollution. Runoff from different land-use types may be enriched with different kinds of contaminants. For example, runoff from agricultural lands can be contaminated with nutrients and sediments. Likewise, runoff from highly developed urban areas may be enriched with rubber fragments, heavy metals, and sodium and sulfate from road deicers (Tong & Chen, 2002).