Water quality assessment of groundwater in selected potable water sources for household use in Ibadan, Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

Water remains an important resource to human life; its quality is as essential as its quantity, because it is very important for human health. Unfortunately, government’s inability to provide adequate and potable water to citizens in Nigeria has made individuals to seek for alternative means of providing water for themselves through self-supply systems. This study assessed the water quality parameters of boreholes in selected areas of Ibadan. The secondary data of water quality parameters from 44 boreholes were collected from the Oyo State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency. The parameters were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. The mean values of the parameters were compared to the World Health Organization standards for drinking water and Principal Component Analysis was used to describe possible sources of contamination in the wells. Spearman’s correlation was also used to assess the relationship between the different parameters. The descriptive statistics revealed that most of the water samples are slightly acidic and few water samples have lead and iron contamination. The bacteriological analysis revealed that some of the water samples had total coliform and Escherichia coli above the 0 MPN/100 mg/l stipulated by World Health Organization and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality standards. The Principal Component Analysis revealed urban runoff, contamination from septic tank and hardness as the likely sources of contamination. This study concludes that water from the study area should be treated before consumption to prevent water-related diseases.