Assessment of the Physico-chemical and Bacteriological Parameters of Groundwater for Domestic Consumption in Parts of Lantang North, Plateau State, Nigeria

Groundwater is the major source of water for domestic use in the study area just as in most parts of Nigeria. This study investigated some physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters of water from boreholes and wells in parts of Langtang North, Plateau State, Nigeria with a view to determining their suitability for domestic use based on the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The results showed that electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, chloride, magnesium sodium and calcium were within permissible limits. The results also showed that 86.7% of the samples were within the limits for total dissolved solids, 53.3% for turbidity and 66.7% for alkalinity. High values of the aforementioned parameters do not pose health hazards to the consumers of the water. Fluoride, potassium, phosphate and nitrate showed high concentrations in most of the samples with 93.3%, 93.3%, 93.3% and 80% above the limits respectively. Potassium and phosphate have no health implications while nitrate can cause thyroid disease, birth defects, risk of cancer and also blue baby syndrome in infants. Flouride can cause dental fluorosis among other effects. All the samples tested showed presence of faecal coliform. Generally, the groundwater within the study area need basic treatment of filtration and disinfection before consumption. It is recommended that water from private and public wells and boreholes should be tested regularly to monitor changes in concentrations of harmful chemicals and sufficient distance between septic systems and wells should be maintained to reduce the risk of contamination of groundwater.