Assessment of the water quality of the Alto Muda dam for human consumption in the District of Gondola – province of Manica

Natural and Environmental Sciences

Abstract

The aim of this article was to evaluate the water quality of the Alto Muda dam for human consumption in the municipal village of Gondola. Eight parameters were analyzed, namely: water temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, chlorides (Cl-), iron (Fe2+) and thermo tolerant coliforms, of which the turbidity with a high level of 73.9 NTU in the point P01, iron with a high content of 0.64 mg/L at point P01 and thermo-tolerant coliforms with 880.00 NMP/100ml at point P02, which is due to the accentuated anthropic action in these points, such as the dumping of effluents , contamination by domestic sewage and fecal material. MISAU Ministerial Diploma 180/2004 and the Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality, according to WHO (2004), recommend maximum admissible limits for drinking water up to 5 NTU for turbidity, 0.3 mg/L for iron (Fe2+ ) and 0 absence of thermo tolerant coliforms in NMP/100ml of water. The two instruments for assessing the potability of water for human consumption (Diploma 180/2004 from MISAU and the WHO guide) do not mention temperature and dissolved oxygen as parameters that participate in the qualification of drinking water, despite their importance for a better aquatic environment. The results obtained in this article allowed us to conclude that the water from the Alto Muda dam in general cannot be considered potable due to the high content of turbidity, iron and thermo tolerant coliforms.