SUSTAINABLE WATER QUALITY MONITORING IN RIVERINE AREA OF ONDO STATE

Abstract

The availability of good quality water is one of the key target of sustainable development goals. Public water supply is not available in the riverine area of Ondo State, there is need for regular quality monitoring of drinking water sources to safe guard human health. The present study was carried out to evaluate the quality of water available to people in the riverine communities of Ondo State, Nigeria. Water samples were collected from four major towns, proximal to the Atlantic Ocean (namely, Mahin, Ugbo, Ugbonla and Igbokoda) and were analyzed for physicochemical parameters (TDS, pH, Conductivity, Alkalinity, Chlorides Phosphates, and Sulphates) using standard methods. Heavy metals (Pb, Cr, Mn, Zn and Ni) in the water samples were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The results showed average concentration of Pb, Cr, Mn, Zn and Ni to be -1-1-1-1-1 0.576±0.04 mgL , 6.81 ±0.76 mgL , 43.3 ±2.3 mgL , 0.056±0.01 mgL , and16.4 ±2.4 mgL respectively. The water quality index (WQI) calculated across seasons showed the range of 217.26 to 289.02 in the dry season and 297.27 to 414.82 in the rainy season. The results implied that the water is not of good quality for human consumption. Government should assist the people living in the area to create a water treatment unit.