Water Quality Assessment of Groundwater Sources in Abeokuta North, Nigeria

Background and Objective: Groundwater (hand-dug wells) is the major source of water for municipal use in the Abeokuta North Local Government of Nigeria. However, there is a tendency for its quality to deviate from recommended standards as most groundwater sources are close to regions prone to erosion and most wells are not usually covered. The adverse effects might creep into the ecosystem and affect human health if a regular check on the quality is not made. Materials and Methods: The geographical location and altitude of the wells’ locations were taken using Global Positioning System (GPS). The sagging of the water drawer’s rope was indicated with a pin, the latter which was used to spot the location. Each instrument employed was inserted into the sample of water as per the procedure. The experiment was carried out at the thirty-six available sites in the region. Results: The moderate pH range (6.30-7.36) can be linked to low values of TDS (352 mg/L) and EC (695 µs/cm). Statistical Pearson correlation analysis shows a clear relationship between parameters at p<0.01 (2-tailed T-test; MSExcel); supported by a linear plot between EC and TDS, and a clustered column chart that compares EC and pH. The overall water quality index (WQI) of the parameters gives an excellent value of 17.20%.