Bacteriological and Physicochemical Assessment of Groundwater Quality in Selected Villages around the Sokoto-Rima Basin
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.67601/njbls.v3i2b.73Keywords:
Groundwater, Water quality, Physicochemical parameters, Coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, Microbiological assessmenAbstract
Groundwater remains an important source of domestic water supply in many rural and semi-urban communities within the region; however, poor sanitation practices, flooding, agricultural activities, and indiscriminate waste disposal increase the risk of microbial contamination and associated waterborne diseases. This study assessed the physicochemical properties and microbiological quality of groundwater in selected villages around the Sokoto-Rima Basin. A total of forty-eight (48) groundwater samples were collected from wells and boreholes across selected villages in Wamakko, Dange Shuni, and Sokoto South Local Government Areas. Physicochemical parameters, including temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate, phosphate, hardness, salinity, and sulphate, were analyzed using standard American Public Health Association (APHA) methods. Microbial analysis was carried out using the spread-plate and Most Probable Number (MPN) techniques for bacterial enumeration and coliform detection. Isolates were identified using cultural, morphological, and biochemical methods. The results revealed variations in physicochemical parameters across sampling locations, with some samples exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) permissible limits, particularly for turbidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, and salinity. The microbiological analysis showed the presence of fecal and non-fecal coliforms in several water samples, indicating contamination from environmental and fecal sources. Predominant bacterial isolates included Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Some groundwater sources around the Sokoto-Rima Basin were microbiologically unsafe for human consumption without appropriate treatment. These findings underscore the need for regular groundwater-quality monitoring, improved sanitation, public-health education, and effective water-treatment measures. The findings represent the sampling period and may not reflect seasonal variation.
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