TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
CERTIFICATION
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ABBREVIATIONS
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENT
CHAPTER ONE ( INTRODUCTION
)
1.0 BACKGROUND
OF STUDY
1.1
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
1.2
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
1.3
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
1.4
SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY
CHAPTER TWO ( LITERATURE )
2.0
GROUND WATER
2.1
SOURCES OF GROUND WATER
2.2
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF GROUND WATER
2.3
CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF GROUND WATER
2.4
BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF
GROUND WATER
2.5
WATER POLLUTION
2.6
GROUND WATER POLLUTION
2.7
CONTAMINANT TRANSPORT OF GROUND WATER
2.8
GROUND WATER TREATMENT
2.9
GROUND WATER PORTABILITY
2.10
NEED FOR GROUNDWATER EXPLOITATION
2.11
THE NEED FOR BORE HOLE AND WELL
WATER ANALYSIS
2.12
GROUND WATER QUALITY
2.13
WATER QUALITY AND STANDARDS
2.13.1
PHYSIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS
CHAPTER THREE (MATERIALS
AND METHODS)
3.0
DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE SITE
3.1
RESEARCH MATERIALS
3.2
SAMPLING METHOD
3.2.1
SELECTION OF SAMPLING SITE
3.2.2
COLLECTIONS OF SAMPLES
3.2.3
SAMPLE HANDLING AND
PRESERVATION
3.3
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PARAMETRS
CHAPTER FOUR ( RESULTS)
4.0
RESULTS OF ANALYSIS
CHAPTER FIVE ( DISCUSSION
)
5.0
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
5.2
SUMMARY
5.3
CONCLUSION
5.4
RECOMMENDATION
REFERENCE
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND
Water is central to the movement of matter and
energy on Earth. Only 3% is fresh, and only one percent of that is available to
us in aquifers, lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. Water
covers about 70% of Earth’s surface, makes up about 70% of your mass, and is
essential for life, Rivers are vital
component of the
biosphere that contains
less than one
percent of the
world’s fresh water with
their higher ecological
and social significance
which are being
polluted by indiscriminate disposal
of sewerage, industrial
waste, and by
excess of human
activities affecting their physicochemical characteristics and
leads to various
deleterious effects on
aquatic organisms (Murhekar, 2011;
Annalakshmi and Amsath,
2012). Water is one
of the pivotal
to both natural
ecosystems and human
development. It is
essential for various activities
such as drinking,
cooking, industrial, agricultural
and recreational purposes.
In the human body,
it is also
used in transporting,
dissolving organic matter
and replenishing nutrients while
carrying away waste
materials (Jayalakshmi et
al., 2011). Water is the only
substance that exists naturally on Earth in all three physical states of matter
gas, liquid, and solid and it is always on the move among them.
Water
dissolved nutrients and distributes them to cells, supports body structures,
regulates body temperature and also removes waste products. Water is a chemical
compound comprises of hydrogen and oxygen in ratio 2:1 with the molecular
formular H2O. It has a boiling point of 1000C and
freezing point of 00.C
Water
has three major sources.
1.
Surface water
2.
Rain water
3.
Ground water.
According
to Chapman (1996) and BGS, (2001), groundwater is easily the most important
component of the hydrological cycle, an important source of potable water in
Africa and constitutes about two thirds of the freshwater resources of the
world. Groundwater is fast becoming an essential resource that cannot be
ignored in any part of the world (Llamas, 2005). Prior to this recent
development, attention was placed on surface water as a component of the
hydrological cycle for water supply, particularly in urban areas. In developing
countries like Nigeria, groundwater was considered only as a means of rural
water supply. Efforts on water supply development were focussed on surface
water. However, the situation is changing even on a global scale. According to
Gronwall et al, (2010), an estimated 269 million urban dwellers depend on wells
as their principal source of drinking water. In urban Nigeria, it is estimated
that almost 60 per cent of the population rely on local wells. This rapidly
increasing trend seems to be partly due to people’s need to self-supply for
lack of alternative sources, and partly due to cheaper well drilling
technologies.
Boreholes
sampled varied from 30m – 50m deep, but water was found in the levels between 7
to 20m. Dynamic water level is the level water drops to when the pump is
operating due to draw down. Static water level is the level water rises due to
infiltration and capillary action (IAS, 2008). Groundwater appears as
vulnerable as surface water due to water table being near the soil surface and
layers topping the table being permeable, and superficial sources of pollution
being numerous (Boutin, 1987; Singh et al., 2012). There is practically
no geological environment at or near the earth’s surface where pH will not
support some form of organic life (Chapman, 1996). Pathogenic bacteria can
survive long underground and may have a life span of about 4 years (Hamil and
Bell, 1986). Boreholes and wells locally distort the natural flow field and
create a path that opens up an additional possibility of heat and mass transfer
between rock formations / aquifers, surrounding and atmosphere (Berthold 2010;
Akpoveta, 2011). Indiscriminate waste disposal, poor agricultural practices,
septic tanks, pit latrines and graves near boreholes, poor well construction,
contribute to borehole water contamination (Sunnudo-Wilhelmy and Gill, 1999;
Egwari and Aboaba, 2002; Lu, 2004; McHenry, 2011). These account for the
presence of coliform bacteria in borehole water.
World
population cannot be sustained without access to safe water (Braunstein, 2007).
It is therefore important to conjunctly consider both water quality and
quantity in water resources management (Xinghuiet al., 2009). Borehole
water becomes unsuitable for domestic use as a resource due to contamination
that makes it unfit (Holmes, 2007).The
World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that the minimum daily per capita
water consumption to be 27 liters/person/day. However, many people manage with
far less than 27 liters (Fraceyset al., 1991), This could be because
approximately 70% of the renewable water resources are unavailable for human
use or under developed or unevenly distributed (Minh et al., 2011;
Gleick, 1993). Drought, desertification and other forms of water scarcity are
already estimated to affect as many as one third of the world’s population,
affecting consumption and migration patterns in many parts of the world
(Talafre and Knabe, 2009). The increasing population pressure and rising demand
for food and other services has increased demand for water (Nobumasa, 2006;
Rodak and Silliman, 2011). This has
increased reliance on groundwater resources thereby
creating challenges among which are the provisions of adequate quantity and
quality of water (WWDR, 2011). Those that are faced with a serious water
shortage must either limit their use or make do with used untreated water
(Clarke, 1991).
Many countries are turning to groundwater as a reliable source of
supply. This situation has been aggravated by the large-scale pollution of
surface water. Also, factors such as the generally wide availability of
groundwater, its low capital development, cost and normally excellent natural
quality are leading to rapid development of groundwater resources (Foster and
Chilton, 1993). Groundwater has unique natural features which make it suitable
for public water supply (Offodile, 1983). It has excellent natural quality,
usually free from pathogens, color, turbidity, and can be consumed directly
without treatment (Jain et al, 1996). However, it has been observed severally
in literature that groundwater is losing its natural purity. For instance, the
microbiological and physicochemical analyses of borehole water samples from
eastern Obolo LGA of AkwaIbom State, Nigeria were conducted by Itah and Akpan
(2005) to ascertain the potability. Some physicochemical parameters like iron and
mercury in some boreholes did not meet the WHO standard for potable water.
According to Harter (2003), groundwater contamination is an
undesirable change in groundwater quality resulting from human activities.
Urban growth, increased industrial activities, intensive farming, and overuse
of fertilizers in agricultural production have been identified as drivers
responsible for these changes (Patwardhan, 2003). It is a well-known fact that
a polluted environment has a detrimental effect on the health of people, animal
life and vegetation (Sujatha and Reddy, 2003). The need to define the quality
of water has developed with the increasing demand for water which is suitable
for specific uses and conforms to desired quality (Deborah, 1996).
Unsatisfactory water supplies and unwholesome sanitary conditions can result in
poor human health (Chukwu, 2008).
Therefore, the maintenance of
water quality at acceptable levels is an essential requirement for successful
use of water resources. In order to safeguard the long-term sustainability of
the groundwater resources, the quality of the water needs to be continuously
monitored (Raihan and Alam, 2008). The overall goal of such assessment is to
obtain a comprehensive picture of the spatial distribution of groundwater quality
and the changes that occur, either naturally, or under the influence of man
(Wilkinson and Edworthy, 1981).
This paper examined the groundwater quality of the rapidly expanding
city of Warri (Delta State) metropolis and its immediate environs. It focussed
on the study of the characteristics of groundwater as depicted by the
constituent parameters. Also, the quality of water was measured in this study
against set international standards to determine its potability.
1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM:
Contamination of water has being a great issue to the environment
and human health. The persisting contamination level has been observed and
concerned by the public due to continuous deterioration of water quality. The reduction of this contaminations in the
water is of great interest to the human and their environment because it poses
a threat to humans and other forms of life. This study looks at the assessment
of ground water and its portablility rate if it has threat to human and also
the possible ways for water quality.
1.3 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY:
1.
It’s to help minimize the health risks associated with
either direct or indirect use of water (Udomet al., 2002).
2.
Natural
water contains many dissolved substances: contaminants such as bacteria,
viruses, heavy metals, nitrates and salt have polluted water supplies due to
inadequate treatment and disposal of wastes from humans and livestock,
industrial discharges and over use of limited water resources (Singh and
Mosley, 2003).
3.
It
creates an awareness of the different danger involved when ground water is
consumed. There is this belief among Africans that “disease does not kill an
African man”. This is not true! Many Africans have suffered of complex
complications, which resulted from consumption of polluted or contaminated
water.
Thus, man can live without light but not
without water. However, the intake and consumption of contaminated water is
more deadly than inadequate water.
4.
To
enlighten the general public and the society at large on how to use simple
laboratory analysis (as could be seen in this project work) and other
alternative to improve the quality (not quantity) of water.
1.4 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Main Objective
1. This study was aimed at assessing
underground water quality and its implications to human health
2. To determine the
physiochemical properties of ground water in the area of study such as PH, DO,
BOD, TOTAL NITRATE AND SULPHATE, etc.
Specific Objectives
The specific
objectives of this study were,
1. To examine
individuals that makes use of the underground water for both well and borehole
1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF STUDY
SCOPE
This
work is limited to the assessment of ground water (borehole and well water) in
Warri metropolis and the possible effects of the water.
LIMITATIONS
This
project work is limited to the assessment of ground in Warri metropolis a
combination of (Warri south LGA, Uwei LGA, Udu LGA) of Delta State. Also Due to
paucity of fund, the number of underground water sources were limited.