GROUNDWATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT AT SULEJA, NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

This research aimed at demonstrating the application of hydrochemical techniques in evaluating the effect of waste dumpsite on groundwater resources of Suleja environs. The samplings were carried out systematically in seven different well locations, from the month of May to November during wet season of the year. The total sample collected for the months of wet season were 42 in numbers, which was subjected to several standard laboratory analyses. The result revealed concentrations ranges of the analyzed parameters in the following order physical parameters such as pH (5.7 - 8.8), TDS (19.9 – 529 mg/L), conductivity (105 – 1688 mg/l), Alkalinity (25 – 214 mg/L), Total hardness (52 – 370 mg/L), Biological Oxygen Demand BOD (1 – 8 mg/L), Chemical Oxygen Demand COD (4 – 16 mg/L). The anionic parameters revealed average concentrations in the order of SO4 >Cl- > HCO3 > CO2 > NO3 > PO4, while cationic average concentration in mg/L revealed Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+ respectively, the heavy metals are in the following order of their various average concentrations Fe2+ > Mn2+ > Zn2+ > Cu2+. This result revealed that Sulphate/Chloride are the dominant anions present in the groundwater of the study area while Calcium/Magnesium are the most dominant anions. The parametric comparison conducted with WHO and NSDWQ water quality standard for domestic purposes indicate that the groundwater of the study area is portable for domestic usage. The results equally indicate that the source of enrichment of the solute is majorly from weathering of the lithologic compositions that underlain the area of study, with little leachate flow from waste dump sites (as indicated by slight elevated level of concentrations revealed by Mn2+ and Zn2+). The type of water that predominate the study area is Ca + Mg-SO4 type based on hydrochemicalfacies classification plot (Piper Trilinear Diagram). Water quality index value revealed excellent nature of the water for domestic usage though the water is classified as hard water type. The groundwater of the study area should be subject to basic water treatment before consumption