Assessment of Vital Water Quality Parameters for Sustainable Future

Water is an essential natural resource for human consumption, plants, animals, and agricultural and industrial purposes. Due to huge untreated industrial discharge, human activities and excessive use of fertilizers for enhancing crop production, water quality is deteriorating day by day. Unsuitable water quality is creating hazardous health issues for humans, depleting aquatic life and affecting plant growth. So, periodic monitoring of water quality becomes an unforgettable task to check and maintain the standards of water quality set by BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) and WHO (World Health Organization). In this chapter, the suitability of water for various purposes like drinking, irrigation, etc. is described in terms of various physicochemical and bacteriological parameters like DO (Dissolved Oxygen), BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand), COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand), pH, TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and EC (Electrical Conductivity), etc. This chapter highlights the need for periodic water quality assessment to ensure a sustainable future for human beings, plants, animals and aquatic life. Parameters required for checking the quality of water and key factors to be remembered while carrying out analysis are also discussed in this chapter.