QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF WELL WATER FROM SOME PRIVATE HOUSEHOLDS IN ABA-ERIFUN AREA OF ADO EKITI METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT Water constitutes over three quarter of the earth crust, it is a renewable resources, having diverse applications. This study investigated some physicochemical, elemental and microbial properties of well water from some 10 (Ten) different households located within Aba-Erifun area of Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. All the water samples were collected in the morning on the same day. pH of the water samples ranged from 7.0–7.4, electrical conductivity was 192-262 µs/cm, while the temperature was 25-270C. The samples odour and taste were unobjectionable, while the colour was 5.0 NTU. Dissolved oxygen was 132-148 mg/l, total solids 184–222 mg/l. Total alkalinity was 74-96 mg/l and chloride content was 44–64 mg/l. Ammoniacal nitrogen was not detected in the water samples and total acidity was 52–78 mg/l. Elemental analysis showed that lead, chromium, cadmium, mercury, nickel, arsenic and copper were not detected in any the water samples. Zinc ranged from 0.4–0.8 ppm, calcium ranged between 64–94 ppm, while magnesium was between 64-96 ppm. Results of microbial evaluation indicated that there was no gas producing organisms in any of the water samples, coliform bacteria was not detected in any of the samples, while total plate count ranged between 08-16 cfu/ml. These results imply that these water samples were within WHO minimum standards for potable water, and can be used for domestic or other applications.