Abstract
The objective of this study was to assess the quality of water as it is transported from treatment plant to the consumers of Karachi city.
The water samples collected from various supply lines were analyzed chemically and microbiologically. The results indicated that at
treatment plant all the water quality meet WHO standard. However, the samples from distribution lines showed the presence of
coliform bacteria and fecal coliform in the water samples of branched lines supplying water to the consumers. The residual chlorine
was absent in almost all the samples. In contrast, the chemical quality of the water with respect to tested parameters (pH, turbidity, EC
and TDS) did not alter significantly during the distribution. From the findings it may be concluded that the quality of water supplied to
the city is not fit for drinking as per WHO standard. The measures to rectify the problems of water contamination need to be
undertaken.
