Volume 8, Issue 3, March 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology

ISSN No:-2456-2165

Assessment of Groundwater Quality in Some Selected

Residences of Kano Municipal Local Government
Area, Kano State, Nigeria
Gora, M. A.,*Odewade, L.O. Joseph Oluwaseun Odewade
Department of Environmental Management, Department of Microbiology,
Faculty of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Federal University,
Bayero University, Kano, Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State,
Nigeria Nigeria

Abstract:- The study was conducted to evaluate the quality of their lives (Fetter, 1994). The World Health
physiochemical parameters quality of ground water for Organization has frequently insisted that the single major
residential use in the ten selected household’s borehole factor adversely influencing the general health and life
water sources in Kano Municipal Local Government, expectancy of a population in many developing countries is
Kano State, Nigeria. The physicochemical parameters the ready access to potable water (Hoko, 2005).The
analyzed include Electric conductivity (EC), Phosphate, usefulness of water for a particular purpose is determined by
Nitrate, Dissolved oxygen (DO), Total dissolved solids the water quality (Fetter, 1994). According to Ishaku (2011),
(TDS), Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium and Calcium groundwater is used by about 1.5 billion people worldwide.
using standardized methods. The results revealed that The sources of groundwater contamination are many and the
parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, contaminants are numerous. Increasing industrialization has
nitrate, sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium been accompanied throughout the world by the extraction
were found to be within NSDWQ and WHO standards and distribution of mineral substances from their natural
permissible limits in most of the sampling locations while deposits. Subsequent to contamination, water sources
conductivity and total dissolved solids mean undergo chemical changes through technical processes,
concentration values were high than the recommended finely dispersed and in solutions by way of effluent, sewage,
values for the stipulated standards in most of the dumps and dust into the water, the earth and the air and
sampled water locations. The study concludes that most finally into the food chain (Fetter, 1994). Groundwater is by
of the physicochemical parameters analyzed in water far the most essential component, accounting for nearly all
sources studied were within the NSDWQ and WHO accessible freshwater after excluding the polar ice caps and
permissible limits while conductivity and total dissolved glaciers. Groundwater resources have a prominent role in
solids were high in almost all the groundwater sources human life and economic activities; hence their use and
and also above the recommended values for the two conservation are consequently critical (Bataiya et al., 2017).
standards. Hence, there is need for prior treatment of
affected water sources before consumption. The groundwater all over the world has emerged as a
potential source for domestic and irrigation purposes. In this
Keywords:- Groundwater, Physicochemical parameters, case, it becomes important to assess the quality of
Urban residences. groundwater before assigning it for domestic or irrigation
purposes. For many metropolitan, municipal, industrial, and
I. INTRODUCTION irrigational enterprises, ground water is the primary source
of water. Worldwide, the stress on the freshwater resources
Water is an essential commodity that supports all from surface and groundwater sources is ever increasing due
forms of plant and animal life (Vanloon and Duffy, 2005). to population growth and rapid industrialization. Natural
About 60% percent of human body is water as life began in occurring groundwater is typical of high quality, but it can
water and life is nurtured with water (Fasunwon et al., deteriorate due to insufficient source protection and poor
2010). Access to adequate safe drinking water is of prime resource management. Its contamination may be due to
importance to many governmental and international improper dwelling of well and waste disposal (Shawai et al.,
organizations and without doubt it is the principal 2018). The demand for groundwater supply for drinking,
component of primary health care and a basic component of domestic, agricultural, and industrial use has been steadily
human development as well as a precondition for man’s increasing. It is still the largest available source of
success to deal with hunger, poverty and death freshwater, making it an essential component of the water
(SOPAC/WHO, 2005). Water is primarily used for supply chain (Ibrahim, 2019). The population growth is
industrial, domestic, agricultural activities and necessary for characterized by high population concentration, increasing
sustainable economic development of an area as it is the industrial, commercial and agricultural activities,
next major support to life after air (Pritchard et al., 2007). environmental degradation, and indiscriminate disposal of
The availability of pipe-borne water, borehole water and all types of wastes, is perceived to pose serious pollution
shallow wells in urban areas is an indication that water is a threats, with all of the associated health hazards on
vital component of human existence.The quality of water groundwater quality, particularly in urban areas (Balogun et
that human beings ingest is critical in determining the al., 2020). As a result, the high reliance on untreated

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Volume 8, Issue 3, March 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
groundwater extracted from shallow and deep wells has III. RESULTS
resulted in the innate proliferation of diseases and other
health-related issues. According to Sanders et al. (2018), The results of water quality for the water sources
Severe potable water scarcity has been one of the major analyzed from the study area are presented in Table 1.
problems the population within Kano metropolis had to Electrical conductivity (EC)1411μS/cmwas recorded to be
contend with, and very few areas within the metropolis highest in Sheshe area and lowest at Charanci 555μS/cm.
could boast of access to potable water supply from the water The pH observed ranges between 4.7 to 7.5. The water
board. This has forced the city's population to rely solely on sample collected at Kabara was found to be most acidic
groundwater exploration for municipal, industrial, and (4.7) while that of Kurmawa has the most slightly.
agricultural purposes. Groundwater is a primary source of
water supply in Kano metropolis, therefore, there is a
constant need to evaluate its quality for domestic use.

II. MATERIALS AND METHODS

A. Study area and sampling points

Kano metropolis covers an area of about 600 km2 located
between longitude 8º and 9ºE and latitude 10º and 12ºN. It is
one of the earliest commercially significant aspects of trans-
Saharan trade (Tanko & Momale, 2014). The climate area of
Kano is the tropical wet and dry type with dry season lasting
for about seven to eight months and wet season between
May and September (Dan Azumi & Bichi, 2010).The area of
study was found in Climate of Kano region is tropical wet
and dry type coded as Aw based on Koppen’s classification
of climate(Tanko &Momale, 2014).It has been described as
semi-arid climate with the mean daily temperature of 30°C.
The months of December to February are colder, with the
lowest temperature recorded around 20°C while the rainfall
regime usually lasted between four to five months.Water
samples were collected at ten selected households in ten
selected wards comprising of Sheshe, Marmara, Kabara,
Tudun wuzirchi, Chiranchi, Kurmawa, Yakasai, Indabawa,
Sagagi, Sharada cikin gari in Kano Municipal Local
Government area within the period of four months and the
water samples collected were analyzed for physicochemical
parameters using standard method (APHA, 1998). Figure 1
showed the map of the study area indicating the sampled
groundwater locations.

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Volume 8, Issue 3, March 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165

Fig. 1: Map of the study area showing the sampling points

alkaline mean concentration value of 7.5.The Sagagi (0.66mg/L), Kurmawa and Yakasai has the same
phosphate (PO43-) mean concentration value of 4.94mg/Lwhile the highest mean concentration
valuel1.175mg/Lwaslowest atSagagi and highest at Chiranci value was recordedat Marmara as 6.10mg/L. The highest
and Kurmawa with the mean concentration valueof mean concentration value of dissolved oxygen (DO)
15.7625mg/Lfor each of the locations. Nitrate (NO3-) mean 4.30mg/L was observed at Kurmawa while the lowest mean
concentration value of 2.80mg/L was observed at Sheshe, concentration value of 1.90mg/L was recorded at Sheshe
Marmara, Kabara, Chiranci, Kurmawa, Indabawa and location. The lowest sodium Na+mean concentration value
Sharada, and 4.20mg/L mean concentration value was 2mg/L was recorded at Sagagi area while thehighest mean
recorded atT/wuzurci, Yakasai and Sagagi. The lowest total concentration value of 4.0mg/L was observed at T/wuzurci.
dissolved oxygen TDS mean concentration value 330mg/L The highest Magnesium mean concentration was recorded at
was recorded at Sharada and the highestmean concentration Marmara and the lowest mean concentration value of
value 857mg/L was observed at T/wuzurci followed by 10.7mg/L was recorded at Sagagi area. Themean
Marmara (846mg/L) and Sagagi (760mg/L). The lowest concentration value of calcium 150.9mg/L was highest at
mean concentration of Potassium ion (K+) was observed at Sagagi and lowest at Charanci area.

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 Volume 8, Issue 3, March 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
Table 1: Concentration of physicochemical parameters of water sources Analyzed
Na+ Mg2+ Ca2+
EC PO43- NO3- TDS K+ DO (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L)
Location (μS/cm) pH (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L) (mg/L)
Sheshe 1286 6.9 12.13 2.80 733 2.31 1.90 3.3 31.2 97.6
Marmara 1377 7.4 13.34 2.80 846 6.10 2.8 3.3 39.4 51.4
Kabara 1260 4.7 12.73 2.80 738 0.82 2.46 4.0 24.7 54.7
T/wuzurci 1411 6.8 6.67 4.20 857 3.29 3.64 4.6 38.2 53.1
Charanci 696 6.2 15.76 2.80 387 1.65 3.81 3.3 10.8 35.4
Kurmawa 868 7.5 15.76 2.80 547 4.94 4.31 4.0 28.3 82.9
Yakasai 929 6.8 10.91 4.20 526 4.94 4.09 4.0 17.1 150.9
Indabawa 1251 6.6 15.16 2.80 760 0.82 3.58 3.3 29.2 126.9
Sagagi 881 6.4 1.18 4.20 520 0.66 3.42 2.0 10.7 185.7
Sharada 555 6.1 13.94 2.80 330 1.65 2.02 2.6 19.9 142.9
EC= Electrical Conductivity, TDS= Total Dissolve Solids, DO= Dissolve Oxygen, K+ = Potassium ion, Na+= Sodium ion,
Mg+=Magnesium ion, Ca2+= Calcium ion.

Table 2: Present study Comparison with the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality and World Health Organization
Parameters Present Study NSDWQ WHO Guideline
EC(μS/cm) 1051.4 1000 1000
pH 6.5 6.5 – 8.5 6.5 – 8.5
TDS (mg/L) 624.0 500 600
DO (cm3/dm3) 3.2 NA 6.0
K+(mg/L) 2.7 100 NA
Na+(mg/L) 3.4 200 200
Mg+(mg/L) 25.0 20 <150
Ca2+(mg/L) 98.2 200 <150
NO3-(mg/L) 3.2 50 50
PO43-(mg/L) 11.7 NA NA
Source: NSDWQ (2015) and WHO (2017) NA = Not Applicable

IV. DISCUSSION an indirect effect on public health and aquatic lives (WHO,
2017). However, Kabara has acidic water than the remaining
The results for water quality parameters were locations and this could be attributed to the inflow of
represented in Table1. The findings revealed higher mean effluents released from residences. Most of the values for
concentration value ofelectrical conductivity and total TDS were observed to be higher than both the NSDWQ and
dissolved solids parameters when compared with both the WHO recommended limit except for Chiranci (387mg/L)
NSDWQ and WHO standards across all the sample and Sharada (330mg/L) which are within the recommended
locations. The electrical conductivity (EC) mean values of limit for NSDWQ. Also, Kurmawa (547mg/L), Yakasai
the collected water samples ranges between 555- (526mg/L) and Sagagi (520mg/L) values were within the
1377µS/cm. Onwughara et al. (2013) reported value of 9.32 WHO standard limit of 600mg/L. TDS concentration
µS/cm which is within the range of the recommended limit represents the amount of inorganic salts and small amounts
of both the NSDWQ and WHO standards. Meanwhile, the of organic matter that are dissolved in water. The hardness
electrical conductivity value recorded in study carried out by of groundwater could be due to the occurrence of alkaline
Karpagam and Ramesh (2015) contravened this study where earth metals calcium carbonates and bicarbonates of
the value of pre-monsoom from 1050 to 2990 µS/cm and magnesium, chlorides and sulphates of calcium and
post monsoon from 1320 to 2140 µS/cm was reported and magnesium.
these values are well above the allowable limit by both the
NSDWQ and WHO standards. The mean concentrations of DO for all the sampling
locations were below the WHO guideline value.
The pH range 6.5-8.5 values recorded in this study Concentration of DO is a critical determinant of species
conforms with the pH range value recommended by both the diversity found in a water body. A vast majority of aquatic
NSDWQ and WHO. Moreover, as observed in this study, all organisms are aerobes that depend on the amount of
the sampling locations were safe at pH level except for dissolved oxygen in the water. Thus, the consequence of low
Charanci, Sagagi and Sharada sampling locations which are amounts DO on the affected species may mean death or
acidic in value. The pH values of all the samplinglocations forced migration to other areas with better oxygen supply.
are presented in Table 1.The pH is not a contaminant, rather Numerous anthropogenic sources of pollutants can
it is an indication of the presence of some chemical contaminate water environment, including inputs from waste
constituents present in water bodies. As such, pH is often waters flowing from mines and waste storage, runoff of
regarded as an important water quality parameter that have

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Volume 8, Issue 3, March 2023 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
ISSN No:-2456-2165
pesticides from agricultural land or atmospheric deposition Nigeria. FUW Trends in Science & Technology
(Song et al., 2010). Thenitrate (NO3-) mean concentrations Journal. 3 (2): 407-411.
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anthropogenic activity involving nitrate pollution of the B.K., Auta, U.S., and Adgidzi, J.A. (2020). Spatial
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