Page 148 - AJWEP-22-6

Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution. Vol. 22, No. 6 (2025), pp. 142-169.
doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025120083

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Assessment of groundwater quality for drinking purposes
near the industrial area of Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal:

Physicochemical, microbiological, and statistical

approaches

Shiv Narayan Yadav , Asbin K. C. , Dhruba Acharya , Rabiraj Subedi ,
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Saugat Rizal , Shishir Tamang , and Ajaya Bhattarai *
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1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty/Institute of Science and Technology, Mahendra Morang Adarsh Multiple Campus,
Tribhuvan University, Biratnagar, Koshi, Nepal
2 Department of Science, Faculty/Institute of Science and Technology, Saptagandaki Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University,
Chitwan, Bagmati, Nepal
*Corresponding author: Ajaya Bhattarai (ajaya.bhattarai@mmamc.tu.edu.np)
Received: March 21, 2025; 1st revised: June 25, 2025; 2nd revised: July 15, 2025; 3rd revised: August 2, 2025;
4th revised: August 6, 2025; Accepted: August 11, 2025; Published online: September 8, 2025

Abstract: Groundwater quality in rapidly urbanizing Bharatpur areas with unregulated industries remains a
critical, understudied challenge. This study addresses this knowledge gap by comprehensively assessing the
physicochemical and microbiological contamination of drinking water near the Bharatpur industrial area, Nepal,
using a statistical approach. Twelve physicochemical and microbiological parameters were analyzed based on
the Nepal Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.
Statistical methods (correlation and regression) and an index-based assessment (water quality index [WQI])
were used to interpret contamination patterns. The results showed that the mean values of pH, conductivity,
total dissolved solids, hardness, alkalinity, and Cl were within the WHO/NDWQS guidelines. However, NO ,
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PO 4 3− (4.3–9.8 mg/L), NH (7–19.5 mg/L), free Carbon dioxide (CO ), and Escherichia coli (0–9 colony-forming
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unit/100 mL) exceeded the limits, indicating industrial and fecal contamination. The WQI values ranged from
560 to 663, indicating that all groundwater samples were unsuitable for drinking without treatment. Statistical
analysis revealed strong positive correlations among key parameters. Conductivity was strongly associated
with total dissolved solid, hardness, alkalinity, CO , NH , Cl , PO , and E. coli. Hardness, alkalinity, and
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CO showed near-perfect intercorrelations, while additional strong associations were observed between Cl and
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E. coli, PO and NO , and pH and NO . Further validation was performed using regression analysis with a
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first-degree linear equation. The findings indicate that groundwater near Bharatpur’s industrial zone is critically
contaminated, necessitating the urgent need for policy interventions, such as wastewater treatment to safeguard
public health.
Keywords: Groundwater quality parameters; Statistical analysis; Correlation coefficient; Regression coefficient;
Water quality index; Drinking water contamination; Industrial area
Volume 22 Issue 6 (2025) 142 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025120083