Quality of Drinking Water Consumed in Interurban Bus Transportation System of Kerman in the First Half of 2008

Promoting the hygiene and health level of the society would not be achieved while there is no pure source of potable water. A suitable and healthy drinking water should bear both a good chemical quality and a hygienic condition. The running water of the pipelines network is free from microbial infections due to free chlorine residue. In some cases, while transferring water from one container to another, there is the risk of pollution because of the conditions that are out of control. One of these cases is the water consumed in interurban transportation bus system. If this water is contaminated, there would be the risk of getting infected by water borne diseases. This study was performed to find out the quality of water consumed in the public bus transportation systems of Kerman in the first half of 2008. This is a cross-sectional study including 84 samples. We evaluated and assessed total coliform, fecal coliform, turbidity, free chlorine, pH and temperature. The collected data were analyzed by MINITAB. The results revealed total coliform in %45 of samples, positive fecal coliform in %35, turbidity 3MTU in % 42.5, 4MTU in % 46.25 and 5MTU in 11.25. The amount of free chlorine residue among %73.75 samples was zero. Temperature and pH ranged between 10-19 C and 7-8 C. In general, the microbial quality of the water consumed in the buses was recognized as unhygienic.The results of this study are consistent with similar studies performed in Kermanshah 1996, Isfahan 2004, Bandar Abbass 2004, and Mashhad 2006.The results achieved in this study showed a higher rate of pollution in total coliform than the similar rates in other cities. The index rate of total coliform in Kermanshah was higher than the one in Kerman. The rate of pollution related to fecal coliform in the consuming water of buses in Kerman was lower than the ones in Kermanshah and Mashhad and higher than the ones in Isfahan and Bandar Abbass.