Monitoring the changes in the quality of drinking water through nine years in Assiut governorate, Egypt

The main aim of this study was to monitor the quality of surface and groundwater used for municipal and drinking purposes in Assiut governorate, Egypt over nine years (2009-2017). Therefore, the available data were collected from all official resources in the governorate. The data of 37789 drinking water samples from eleven districts plus East and west of Assiut governorate were summarized and compared with national and international drinking water standards of Arab Republic of Egypt A.R.E law no-458/2007 and WHO (World Health Organization) guidelines 2004. The initial high level of turbidity in 2009 and subsequent propensity to fall over time were mostly caused by the installation of new surface water pumping filtration stations as well as new Fe and Mn removal stations. The records for ammonia, Fe and Mn concentrations increased in the Northern part of Assiut (Dairut, ElQusiya and Manfalut), and in the Eastern part (Sahel Selim and ElBadari) of Assiut governorate. This trend may be due to infiltration of the excessive application of fertilizers and wastes derived from human and animal activities. Some parameters such as (turbidity, TDS, alkalinity, hardness, Fe, Mn and NH3 showed increases in groundwater sources than those in municipal water. Some parameters (Alkalinity, Cl-ion, NH 3 , Fe and Mn) were temporally at the lowest concentration in winter for the same source compared to summer. Furthermore, research showed that the Assiut Governorate's drinking water has excellent (54%), good (38.5%), and acceptable (7.5%) TDS levels. The overall hardness values were 38.5% hard and 61.5% very hard.