Water Supply System in Pabna Municipality of Bangladesh: A Case Study

Safe and adequate water supply is a challenging task in many developing cities like Pabna. People have been facing water supply problems e.g. odor, turbidity, iron, etc., thus leading to public health risk e.g. typhoid, skin disease, allergy, etc. This paper presents the existing water supply system of ward no. 5 of Pabna municipality. Primary data were collected from the householders through questionnaire and field visit to the study area during October, 2018 to April, 2019. The valuable information, ward map, etc. were collected from the respective officials of Pabna municipality. The collected data and information were then analysed. 19% householders use groundwater, 9% householders use public supply water and the rest use both. They use groundwater for drinking purposes and supply water for domestic purposes. 71% householders use water 80~100 lpcd and 29% householders use water 60~80 lpcd for their daily usages e.g. drinking, cooking, bathing, washing, defecation, etc. They use more water at morning and noon. 17% householders face occasionally and 32% householders face rarely the shortage of water. In supply water, odor is high at 46% houses, medium at 30% houses and low at 12% houses and turbidity medium at 10% houses and low at 76% houses. Supply water contains iron; high at 2% houses, medium at 39% houses and low at 46% houses. Arsenic is not present in both groundwater and supply water. Drinking water quality is very good at 12% houses, good at 15% houses and satisfactory at 73% houses. Some householders use filtered or boiled water for drinking. 90% householders use economic water closets. 20% householders are affected by water borne diseases e.g. skin disease, allergy, etc. The study helps understand the nature and type of water supply problems faced by the dwellers of Pabna municipality.