Physicochemical quality of drinking water sources in Ethiopia and its health impact: a retrospective study

Environmental Systems Research

Table 1 Median and %WSORL of selected physicochemical parameters of spring water samples

Region	Total number of sample	Selected physicochemical parameters
Region	Total number of sample	PH	Total Hardness mg/L as CaCO₃	SiO₂ (mg/L)	Na⁺ (mg/L)	Ca²⁺ (mg/L)	Mg²⁺ (mg/L)	Cl⁻ (mg/L)	PO₄ ³⁻ (mg/L)
Addis Ababa	11	7.30 %WSORL = 0	56.0 %WSORL = 0	41.36	15.64 %WSORL = 0	16.03 %WSORL = 0	3.81 %WSORL = 0	4.20 %WSORL = 0	0.05
Afar	4	7.75 %WSORL = 50	76.0 %WSORL = 0	75.62	142.8 %WSORL = 50	21.64 %WSORL = 0	4.3 %WSORL = 0	60.58 %WSORL = 0	0
Amhara	19	7.0 %WSORL = 26.3	76.0 %WSORL = 0	37.07	12.58 %WSORL = 0	24.0 %WSORL = 0	5.28 %WSORL = 0	6.4 %WSORL = 0	0.06
Benshangul Gumuz	1	7.1 %WSORL = 0	80.0 %WSORL = 0	45.0	7.65 %WSORL = 0	16.03 %WSORL = 0	9.57 %WSORL = 0	3.99 %WSORL = 0	0.25
Dire Dawa	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Harari	2	7.4 %WSORL = 0	303.0 %WSORL = 50	36.48	69.28 %WSORL = 0	79.76 %WSORL = 50	24.85 %WSORL = 0	32.09 %WSORL = 0	0.02
Oromia	75	6.6 %WSORL = 46.7	192.0 %WSORL = 45.3	49.54	85.0 %WSORL = 48	38.48 %WSORL = 38.7	11.47 %WSORL = 10.7	23.99 %WSORL = 1.3	0.04
SNNP	28	7.44 %WSORL = 25	46.0 %WSORL = 7.1	67.14	23.21 %WSORL = 25	12.03 %WSORL = 3.6	2.87 %WSORL = 0	4.06 %WSORL = 0	0.05
Somali	5	7.04 %WSORL = 0	700.0 %WSORL = 100	36.67	119.0 %WSORL = 40	200.4 %WSORL = 100	47.72 %WSORL = 40	119.96 %WSORL = 20	0.01
Tigray	34	6.58 %WSORL = 50	48.0 %WSORL = 0	17.05	7.48 %WSORL = 0	14.43 %WSORL = 2.9	3.82 %WSORL = 0	7.0 %WSORL = 0	0.08
ES (2001) (MPL)	–	6.5–8.5	300	–	200	75	50	250	–

%WSORL percentage of water source out of recommended limit, MPL maximum permissible limit, ES Ethiopian Standard