QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF HAND DUG, RINGED AND COVERED WELL WATER FROM SOME PRIVATE HOUSEHOLDS IN ABA ERINFUN, ADO EKITI, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated some physicochemical, elemental and microbial properties of water from hand dug, ringed and covered water wells in 10 (Ten) different private households at different locations within Aba Erinfun community, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. pH of the well water samples ranged from 6.4-7.2 while the temperature ranged between 25-27⁰C. Odour and taste of all the water samples was unobjectionable while the colour was 5.0 NTU. Chlorides ranged between 40-90 mg/l while hardness was 14-36 mg/l. Dissolved oxygen was 110-144 mg/l, total solids 120-240 mg/l, total alkalinity 4.7-41 mg/l, while residual chlorine and ammonia nitrogen content was nil, nitrates ranged from 0.2-0.6 mg/l. The elemental analysis of the water samples (ppm) indicated that nickel, cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium and arsenic was not detected in any of the samples while copper content was 0.04-0.08, magnesium (28-68), zinc (0.1-1.4) and calcium content (50-86). Iron (0.02-0.06); copper (0.04-0.08) and aluminium (0.02-0.06) respectively, were detected in some of the water samples. Microbial examination of the water samples indicated that the total viable count was 1 - 6 cfu/ml, the presumptive test was negative, implying the samples had no gas producing organisms while coliform count was nil in all the water samples.

The results obtained from this study were within WHO standards for potable water, implying that all the water samples were suitable for human utilisation and of no serious health implication.