Physicochemical Characteristics of Drinking Water Sources and Household Tape Water in Yabelo Town

Background and Objective: Drinking water distributed to a community must be free from pathogens and elevated levels of harmful substances at all times. So, monitoring the quality of drinking water before distributing it to the community is important. The study aimed to quantify the levels of selected drinking water parameters at the sources and Household tapes in Yabelo Town, Borena Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: For this study, a total of twelve water samples were collected from two water sources and two household tapes. The concentration of heavy metals in the water samples was determined using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer and single beam UV-visible spectrophotometer. The AD8000 pH/mV/EC/TDS Meter was used to measure temperature, pH, EC (electrical conductivity) and TDS (total dissolved solids). Results: The study showed the levels of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Electrical Conductivity (EC), pH chloride and copper, except the levels of total hardness and manganese, were found to be lower than the Ethiopian Standard for Drinking Water Specification for all water samples. However, drinking water source 2 showed elevated levels of total alkalinity, calcium, magnesium and iron that exceed the maximum permissible limit set by the Ethiopian Standards Agency (ESA) and World Health Organization (WHO). Conclusion: In general, the result suggested that the drinking water provided to the Yabelo Town Community is potable and safe for consumption and doesn’t pose a health risk despite elevated levels of some physicochemical quality parameters that caused aesthetic problems.