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

Environmental Systems Research

Table 2 Median and %WSORL of selected physicochemical parameters of tap 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	93	7.33 %WSORL = 8.6	56.0 %WSORL = 2.2	16.3	6.8 %WSORL = 1.1	14.43 %WSORL = 2.2	3.82 %WSORL = 1.1	7.2 %WSORL = 0	0.02
Afar	11	7.68 %WSORL = 27.3	96.0 %WSORL = 0	28.0	56.52 %WSORL = 36.4	25.65 %WSORL = 0	4.78 %WSORL = 0	16.0 %WSORL = 9.1	0.12
Amhara	5	7.43 %WSORL = 0	84.0 %WSORL = 0	5.45	21.08 %WSORL = 0	27.25 %WSORL = 0	3.81 %WSORL = 0	7.6 %WSORL = 0	0.04
Benshangul Gumuz	2	7.26 %WSORL = 0	74.0 %WSORL = 0	71.17	14.79 %WSORL = 0	18.44 %WSORL = 0	6.7 %WSORL = 0	2.8 %WSORL = 0	0.07
Dire Dawa	8	7.47 %WSORL = 0	600.0 %WSORL = 75	44.55	45.9 %WSORL = 12.5	172.38 %WSORL = 87.5	43.42 %WSORL = 25	120.98 %WSORL = 0	0
Harari	7	7.54 %WSORL = 0	280.0 %WSORL = 28.6	41.60	58.7 %WSORL = 0	80.2 %WSORL = 57.1	19.06 %WSORL = 14.3	37.0 %WSORL = 0	0
Oromia	95	7.17 %WSORL = 22.1	96.0 %WSORL = 12.6	30.0	27.88 %WSORL = 13.7	25.65 %WSORL = 12.6	5.74 %WSORL = 6.3	6.0 %WSORL = 1.1	0.05
SNNP	19	7.0 %WSORL = 15.8	60.0 %WSORL = 0	50.24	52.7 %WSORL = 0	16.03 %WSORL = 0	4.78 %WSORL = 0	2.4 %WSORL = 0	0.02
Somali	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Tigray	13	7.5 %WSORL = 23.1	100.0 %WSORL = 23.1	21.3	28.9 %WSORL = 7.7	24.04 %WSORL = 23.1	9.57 %WSORL = 0	5.2 %WSORL = 0	0.09
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