Health safety of drinking water in the Dragash zone

Abstract

The spread of water-related diseases are very common. Hydric epidemics are fast and explosive, so tendency for healthy drinking water should be constant. In the territory of Dragash live around 33997 inhabitants which are distributed in 35 villages. Characterized by average altitude over 1050 m and is rich in water resources throughout the seasons, but significant decrease during the summer months. In separate villages, there are 65 basins that make the accumulation and distribution of drinking water. None of them is treated before it enters the water distribution nets, except in the town of Dragash, whose basin is managed by the company of "Hidroregjioni Jugor". Evaluation of the quality of drinking water in the rural district of Dragash and security in terms of health for research physicochemical and microbiological parameters. The study was done using prospective epidemiological and analytical method. Water sampling from basins was conducted during 21 days. Samples were analyzed for physic-chemical parameters, and for microbiological analysis was used membrane filter method. Total of 130 samples were taken for analysis. 65 samples were analyzed for the physic-chemical level, and 65 other samples are analyzed in the microbiology field. Physico-chemical analysis indicated that 13 samples were above the maximum tolerated level and 52 within a maximum tolerated levels; increased levels of Iron and Manganese was encountered in 8 samples, while potassium permanganate in one sample. Microbiological analysis has provided 14 samples with bacterial presence or substandard and 51 within the standards. Important presence of pathogenic bacteria was found in rural basins of Bellobrad, Kosavë, Leshtane and Kukuljane. Residents from the territory of Dragash consume safe water in over 85% of cases, in a health plan. The presence of pathogenic bacteria and fecal origin in the village Bellobrad speaks for contamination by wastewater infiltration. Deviation from the standard settings is controllable, and therefore we need urgent measures by the competent authorities in terms of investment in the construction and reconstruction of water accumulator standards that provide drinking water healthy and safe.