Abstract

EVALUATION OF HYDROCHEMISTRY AND DRINKING WATER QUALITY OF RAMAKKAL LAKE, DHARMAPURI DISTRICT, TAMIL NADU

Nanthakumar G.*, Poovizhi E.*, Sanjai Gandhi K., Vidyasakar A., Arun Bharathi V.

Abstract

Securing public health and environmental sustainability depends on effective water quality evaluation. The present study is aimed to analyze the physical and chemical characteristics of lake water and evaluate its contamination level for drinking purposes. A total of ten surface water samples were collected from different stations in Ramakkal Lake, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, India. In this study, 13 water quality parameters were analyzed to identify their concentration and were compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking purposes. The comparison results indicate that the lake water remains alkaline in nature at all sampling locations. Among the thirteen water quality parameters, Total Dissolved Solids, Ca²⁺, K⁺, HCO₃⁻, and PO₄³⁻ exceed the permissible limits in most of the samples. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis reveal the degree of association among physicochemical parameters and the major factor governing water chemistry. The statistical results indicate that rock-water interaction, silicate weathering, mineral dissolution, and anthropogenic activities such as agricultural runoff and municipal waste dumping are significantly affect the water quality. Among the ten sampling stations, S10 exhibits high contamination with respect to various physical and chemical properties, and the overall water quality is severely deteriorated. Therefore, continuous monitoring and proper conservation measures are essential to mitigate the impact of growing anthropogenic activities in the present study area. The study also recommends that adequate treatment measures should be implemented before the discharge of contaminants into water system of Ramakkal Lake, in Dharmapuri district.

Keywords: Water quality, Physicochemical Properties, Contamination, Statistical analysis, Ramakkal Lake.