Groundwater is an essential commodity for the survival of human race. Urbanization coupled with population and industrialization has caused incomplete interaction between various flow compartments of the aquifer. In the present study, physico-chemical characteristics of groundwater of Ambala city and Ambala cantonment area were assessed for its suitability for drinking purpose. Samples were collected from deep aquifer based tube wells and shallow aquifer based hand pumps from several parts of

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... bala City and Ambala Cantonment. To determine the ground water quality, the water samples were analyzed for sixteen physicochemical parameters from forty five different location for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium, magnesium, total hardness (TH), sodium, potassium, carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, fluoride, nitrate, sulphate, phosphate and total alkalinity (TA) concentrations during pre and post monsoon season. Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS, 2012) and World Health Organization (WHO, 2003) standards were used to compare the results obtained. High pH at various locations indicated that groundwater of the study area is alkaline in nature. Excluding some of the sampling sites, the overall results showed that the water in the study area is potable.