Assessing and Evaluating the Water Security: Water Quality, Accessibility, Availability & Sanitation Practices among the People of Sultanpur Village, Raozan, Chattogram

Abstract

Groundwater is the only major source of potable water in Bangladesh. The concepts of quality, availability, accessibility, sanitation and hygiene practices of drinking water all play a role in water security. Bangladesh's drinking water assessments on a national scale do not take into account local variation. This study has evaluated the state of water security of Sultanpur village of RaozanUpazila of Chittagong, Bangladesh, through conducting a total of 210 household surveys, 4 Focus Group Discussions, and 7 Key Informant Interviews as well as lab tests (water samples from 3 deep tubewells and 3 shallow tube wells). The study's findings demonstrated that the water quality has deteriorated; the people of Sultanpur village suffer from severe water scarcity, inaccessibility, issues with sanitation and hygiene, and adverse health effects. Other than pH, manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), and temperature, this study's findings indicated that the parameters did not meet the standard for drinking water. Particularly, the results of the survey and the laboratory test demonstrated that the DO level is lower for the deep tubewells and iron (Fe) level was excessive (highest level = 21.08mg/l and lowest = 2.5mg/l) and above the standard level of 0.3 to 1 mg/l, posing health and aesthetic concerns for the local population. Consequently, the hypothesis has been upheld by the study outcomes. This research has opened entryways for future exploration concerning the water security of Bangladesh, finding some alternative solutions to problems and improving the water resource management.