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Abstract The degradation of groundwater quality has emerged as a significant global concern, impacting regions worldwide, including Pakistan. Thus, this study aimed to assess the suitability of groundwater for drinking purposes in UC Ratokot and Khairpur Juso. A total of twenty-five groundwater samples were collected from various villages within these regions, and both on-site and laboratory-based physicochemical analyses were conducted. Parameters such as color, odor, taste, sulfate (SO4), electrical conductivity (EC), pH, total hardness (TH), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and total dissolved solids (TDS) were assessed, with each sample's results compared against WHO standards. Analysis using two models, namely the Water Quality Index (WQI) and Synthetic Pollution Index (SPI), revealed insights into groundwater quality. Findings indicated that all samples exhibited no discernible external color or odor, with turbidity below 5 NTU. However, the taste of 68% of samples from 17 villages was notably bitter, rendering them unsuitable for consumption. Overall, results showed that 100%, 88%, 72%, 68%, 60%, 52%, and 52% of samples exceeded WHO limits for EC, TDS, Mg, Cl, Ca, TH, and SO4, respectively. Assessment based on the SPI revealed that 40%, 48%, 8%, and 4% of samples were classified as highly contaminated, unfit for drinking, slightly contaminated, and moderately contaminated, respectively. Similarly, the WQI categorized 12%, 36%, 40%, and 12% of groundwater samples as unfit for drinking water, very poor water, poor water, and good water, respectively.
Sheeraz Ahmed (Mon,) studied this question.