Sixty two drinking water samples (39 from underground and 23 from surface water sources) from six districts of Sindh were chemically analysed for pH, sodium, potassium, calcium. magnesium, phosphate and silicate contents. Samples from the same sources were also analysed for total bacterial count and total and differential coliform densities. Results show that the total alkalinity, total hardness and mineral contents of underground waters were significantly (P<0.001) higher than the surface waters while reverse was true for the pH and phosphate Surface water was also found to be highly contaminated by faecal coliforms. Although no direct relationship between microbial contamination of surface water and urinary stone disease was observed, low calcium intake alongwith increased ingestion and excretion of oxalate and phosphate due to faulty dietary habits might be a possible cause of higher incidence of urolithiasis in surface water users.


T U KHAND ,F D KHAND ,A F ANSARI ,M S SHAIKH ,A Q SOOMRO ,