Author(s)

T. E. Dada, E. E. Awokunmi, C. R. Falegan & E. O. Olanipekun

Abstract

Availability of clean and potable water is a great challenge to many people in Nigeria; hence groundwater is consumed in various parts of the country for domestic, agricultural, and other purposes. In this study, samples of water collected from hand-dug wells in selected areas of Ado-Ekiti (Nigeria) were subjected to some physicochemical and microbiological analyses with a view to assessing their suitability for drinking and other domestic applications. All the parameters were analyzed using standard procedures and results obtained were compared to standards prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ). It was observed that samples collected from Orereowu area showed the highest values for bacterial counts (MPN), lead and cadmium, compared to samples from other areas. Despite that, samples from Olorunda area showed acceptable physicochemical parameters; however, the bacterial counts (MPN) exceeded the limits prescribed by WHO and NSDWQ, thus rendering them unfit for drinking purpose without pretreatment. Keywords: groundwater, physicochemical parameters, coliforms, count, heavy, metals concentration, Nigeria. 1 Introduction Water is essential for the survival of all living organisms. The quality of water is of vital importance for mankind since it is directly linked with human welfare [1]. Groundwater constitutes an important source of water supply for domestic supply and agriculture in Nigeria. The sedimentary basins generally form the best aquifers. Compared to the sedimentary aquifers, groundwater storage in the

Keywords

groundwater, physicochemical parameters, coliforms, count, heavy, metals concentration, Nigeria