ASSESSMENT OF IRRIGATION AND WATER QUALITY INDICES OF INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT AND SURFACE WATER IN ALETO ELEME, RIVERS STATE

Abstract

x The study assessed the irrigation water quality indices of industrial surface water in Aleto Eleme, Rivers State, Nigeria. A total of 9 samples of water effluents and surface water were collected and taken to laboratory to test for the level of concentrations of the physico-chemical parameters using standard laboratory analyses as recommended by the American Society for Testing and Materials for physico-chemical properties and descriptive statistics were employed for the data analysis. Findings revealed that Sodium Absorption Ration (SAR) values ranged from 0.32 to 12.39; Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP) values ranged from 23.39 to 80.62; PI values ranged from 24.79 to 889.8; KR values ranged from 0.39 to 4.16, Residual Sodium Carbonate(RSC) values ranged from -585.3 to 9.9. Also, the different classes of salinity hazard in the USSL diagram include low, C1 (EC < 250 μS/cm); medium, C2 Electrical Conductivity (EC 250–750 μS/cm); high, C3 (EC 750 -2250 μS/cm); and very high, C4 (EC > 2250 μS/cm), as shown in figure 4. Also, the sodium hazard classes include: low, S1 Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR < 10); medium, S2 Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR 10 -18); high, S3 (SAR 18–26); and very high, S4 (SAR > 26). Thus, the quality of river water in the area had WQI values (WQI > 300), rating the water as unsuitable for drinking. The study recommended that the water quality should be improved for domestic purposes by making sure that regulatory bodies monitor the level of water pollution everywhere in Rivers State. More studies on water quality should also be conducted periodically.