author(s)
Aparna Mahajan, Harsh Sharma, Zulfqarul Haq, Rizwan Jeelani, Aafreen Wahid Ganai and Rashmi Sharma

abstract
A study was conducted to evaluate physico-chemical properties of drinking water in Jammu district of Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 112 water samples from Tawi river pre filtration water, post filtration water, household supply water, water of ponds and wells in kandi area and border belt in summer and rainy season were collected. The observed values were compared with recommendations of WHO and ISI to draw inferences. Water temperature varied from 20.25 ⁰C (Households) to 38.15 ⁰C (Tawi river) in summers and 28.08 ⁰C (ponds and wells of kandi area) to 29.4 ⁰C (households) in rainy season. The pH ranged from 6.6 (ponds and wells of kandi area) to a maximum of 7.94 (Tawi river) in summer and 6.85 (ponds and wells of kandi area) to 7.93 (ponds and wells of border belt) in rainy season. The pH was found to be below the permissible limit in the ponds and wells of kandi area in both the seasons according to WHO standards. Maximum level of chloride was found in the ponds and wells of border belt in the rainy season which was 34.78 mg/l. The magnesium hardness was found to be above the permissible limit according to the Indian standards. The values of nitrate-nitrogen, dissolved oxygen (DO) and FCO₂ recorded were in normal range in the waters evaluated. It was concluded that all the parameters were within the parameters set for pH, temperature, hardness, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, dissolved oxygen and free carbon dioxide, except for magnesium, which was above the permissible limit in both summer and rainy seasons in Tawi river water.