The status of ambient water in Bangladesh

Good ambient water quality is a key indicator of a clean and healthy urban environment. Under the Sustainable Urban Water Cycles (SUWC) project, ambient water quality was assessed across 12 project cities and municipalities (4 city corporations and 8 municipalities) to understand the current living environment and contribute to SDG 6.3.2, which tracks the proportion of water bodies with good ambient water quality.

A total of 108 samples (72 surface water and 36 groundwater) were collected and tested by KUET and SUST laboratories. Surface water was analyzed against eight parameters, while groundwater was tested against three, in line with Bangladesh Environment Conservation Rules (ECR) 2023.

The findings show that surface water quality in most project cities does not meet acceptable standards, particularly in terms of BOD₅, COD, and Orthophosphate (PO₄), indicating significant organic pollution. Low dissolved oxygen levels in several locations further highlight stress on aquatic ecosystems. The primary causes observed include solid waste dumping, sanitation effluent discharge, greywater discharge, and other domestic activities affecting water bodies.

Groundwater quality was comparatively better. Most samples met acceptable standards, with only a few showing slightly acidic pH levels in the Sylhet region.

The results underscore the urgent need for improved waste management, prevention of effluent discharge into surface water, regular cleaning of aquatic growth, and continuous monitoring. Strengthening public awareness and proactive engagement by city authorities will be critical to restoring and maintaining healthy urban water systems.