Investigation of Springs and their Water Quality in Tilagupha Municipality of Kalikot District, Karnali Province, Nepal

Abstract

The Tilagupha Municipality, located in the Kalikot district of Karnali Province, Nepal, relies entirely on springs as the sole source of water for domestic and irrigation purposes. This study focuses on spring inventory and water quality assessment within the study area. Field observation recorded a total of 25 springs, of which 22 are perennial and 3 seasonal, with contact springs identified as the dominant type; spring discharge was found to be primarily dependent on the rainfall pattern of the area. Physiochemical analysis of 15 spring water samples was carried out for pH, EC, turbidity, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, ammonia, phosphate, total alkalinity, total hardness, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, iron, sulphate, and nitrate. Results show that the water quality of all sampled springs lies well within the National Drinking Water Quality Standard (NDWQS, 2079), and the computed Water Quality Index (WQI) classifies all springs as having good water quality.