الفهرس 
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Abstract
This study was carried out to study the quality of drinking water from different sources in Menoufia governorate (treatment plants, distribution system, private stations and home filters) aiming at assessing the water quality changes from the source to consumer, which is useful in deciding appropriate remedial measures for preventing drinking water from contamination and help in safe drinking water supply to consumers.
Also, in this study we assessed the knowledge, attitude and practice of a sample of population towards the drinking water.
A cross sectional study was carried out in five cities and five villages in Menoufia governorate. 10 samples were taken from the main water stations in these areas. To study water quality of the distribution system, 150 samples of tap water were taken from the household families around each station where they were divided into three equal groups at 250,500 and ≥ 1000 meter from it. All water samples were analyzed physically, chemically and bacteriologically.
To study quality of water supplied by the private stations and home filters, five samples were taken from Al- Gameia Al- shareia stations, five samples were taken from water carts and another five samples were taken from five stages and seven stages home filters.
Also, interviewer predesigned questionnaire including Socio-demographic data (age, sex, and residence), Socio- economic data (family size, family income, education level and water supply) and questions to assess knowledge, attitude and practices of participants towards drinking water.
Summary & Conclusion
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The following results were obtained:
1) All parameters of water quality of the main stations were within the permissible limit of the Egyptian standards except for increased concentrations of iron and manganese in most underground water stations.
2) 34% of the studied samples had exceeded the permissible limits of Egyptian standards for manganese (0.4 mg/L).
3) Iron concentrations vary from 0 to2.3 mg/L and 44% of the studied samples had exceeded the permissible limits of Egyptian standards.
4) Residual chlorine was absent in 9 % of the samples while 17% of the samples were below the permissible limits of Egyptian standards.
5) Incidence of bacteriological contamination of the studied samples was 17.5 % for TBC and 13.75% for TCC.
6) There was a significant correlation (P<0.01) between the extent of distance of water sample from the source and the bacterial quality of water samples.
7) There was a significant correlation (P< 0.01) between the level of residual chlorine and the bacterial quality of water samples.
8) There was a significant difference (P<0.01) between water samples taken from urban areas and those taken from rural areas as regarding TBC.
9) Water samples taken from Al- Gameia Al- shareia stations were within the Egyptian standards except for increased turbidity, increased manganese concentrations, absent residual chlorine and high level of bacterial contamination in some samples.
10) The vended water samples were within the Egyptian standards except for absent residual chlorine and the high bacterial contamination in some samples.
Summary & Conclusion
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11) The home filtered water samples were within the Egyptian standards. But there was very low concentrations of total dissolved salts, chlorides, total hardness, Ca hardness, Mg hardness, Ca+2 and mg+2.
12) Concerning the KAP survey, there was a highly significant relationship (p<0.001) between both socioeconomic status and education level and items of knowledge, attitude and practices of the participants.
from above results, we can conclude that, there was a fair physicochemical but unacceptably poor bacteriological quality of some water samples indicating that the microbiological and chemical control of water systems by local public health authorities is still incomplete posing a potential health risk to the consumers.
Therefore, we advocate regular water quality monitoring with special emphasis on proper maintenance of water distribution system and the private water stations for the safety of public health and environment.