QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF WELL WATER FROM SELECTED LOCATIONS WITHIN KATSINA METROPOLIS
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Water is one of the natural resources which are found in an adequate amount from different sources such as well, borehole and tap. It is an essential source for the existence of life on the planet earth. It is widely used for various purposes such as drinking, washing, irrigation and other industrial and domestic uses. The quality of well water from various locations within Katsina metropolis was evaluated to assess its suitability for domestic use. A total of eight well water samples were collected from different sites using random sampling technique and analyzed for a range of physicochemical parameters (including pH, temperature, turbidity, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO), and electrical conductivity (EC)), microbiological parameters through presumptive, confirmatory, and completed tests, and heavy metal content (such as lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc). Additionally, biochemical characterization of bacterial isolates was performed using Oxidase, Indole, Citrate, and Catalase tests. The findings indicated that some physicochemical parameters analyzed across all the sampling sites, which comprises of (pH 6.54-7.41, Temperature 2124, Biochemical oxygen demand 0.4-1.8 and Electrical conductivity 0.94-4.04) fell within the acceptable limit established by the World Health Organization (WHO) 2010, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 2017, others (Turbidity; 6-31.5 and DO; 15.3-16.5) surpassed the recommended thresholds. The bacteriological analysis also identified two contaminants, which comprises of E. Coli (28-1100 MPN) and Pseudomonas (210 MPN). Moreover, the heavy metal analysis revealed concerning levels of lead (0.4-2.03) across all the sampling sites exceeding the recommended limits. This study highlighted that the quality of well water in Katsina metropolis is compromised, posing potential health risks to consumers. Therefore, it is crucial to implement appropriate water treatment methods, such as boiling, chlorination, or filtration, to address issues like turbidity, microbiological contaminants, and harmful substances such as lead. This will enhance the safety of the water for human consumption.
Keywords: Well water, Quality assessment, Physicochemical parameters, Bacteriological analysis, Heavy metal analysis, Biochemical Characterization, Katsina metropolis, MPN=
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