Abstract
The sixth Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underscores the need for clean, accessible water and good sanitation for all as an essential part of the world we live in. However, water scarcity still affects more than 30% of the world’s population. Many communities, especially in Africa, have resorted to substandard and cheaper sources of water for consumption, and hand dug well is one of them. In this study, the physicochemical, biochemical and microbiological assessment of well water samples from Gaba 1, Gaba 11 and Zuma 11 communities in Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria were carried out as a case study to determine the quality of well water. The American Public Health Association (APHA) standard analytical methods were adopted and results were compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) standards and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ). From the results obtained for the physicochemical parameters, turbidity and colour did not meet up with the WHO and NSDWQ standard. Colour ranged from 330±20PtCo to 57.60±14.50PtCo as against 15PtCo by WHO and NSDWQ, turbidity ranged from 45.2±0.2NTU to 7.19±0.4NTU as against 5NTU by WHO and NSDWQ. Other physicochemical parameters were within WHO and NSDWQ limit. The bacteriological and biochemical results showed the presence of E-coli and other coliforms in all the samples. The total coliforms count for all the wells ranged from 1.55x102 to 1.775x102 CFU/ml, indicating a noncompliance to the zero count per 100ml by WHO. Well water from these communities pose a great health risk to the consumers.
 Keywords: Well water, Quality assessment, Physicochemical parameters, Microbiological, WHO.
Highlights
Leptospirosis and schistomiasis are on the increase (Pal et al, 2018)
Gaba and Zuma communities of Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa are caught in the web
Most people depend on well water and borehole as their sources of water, but the cost of digging borehole is so high to the extent that well water source becomes the possible alternative
Summary
Leptospirosis and schistomiasis are on the increase (Pal et al, 2018). There is a high morbidity and mortality rates in the rural areas in Nigeria, especially, among children under five (UNICEF, 2018). There is scarcely any work on the well water quality in Gaba and Zuma communities, Bwari area council, Abuja, Nigeria. It is believed if the people are confronted with facts and evidence on the quality of water they use on daily basis and the implications, their belief system may be refined. This work assessed the physicochemical, microbiological and biochemical properties of the dug well water samples from Gaba and Zuma communities of Bwari Area Council, Abuja, Nigeria as a case study on the quality of well water in order to inform the consumers draw the attention of the relevant authorities to the plight of these communities and advocate with evidences for interventions in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goal six
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