DISTRIBUTION OF QUALITY INDEX OF GROUNDWATER AROUND SELECTED WASTE DUMPSITES IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This paper assessed the distribution of quality index of groundwater around selected waste dumpsites in Rivers State. Three waste dumpsites in Aluu, Eneka and Trans-amadi communities in River state were randomly sampled. Groundwater sourced from boreholes sited at distances of 100m, 150m and 200m away from the dumpsites were sampled for the study in November and analyzed in laboratory for some water quality parameters (physicochemical properties are pH, BOD, COD, TDS, EC and Turbidity, while heavy metals are Copper, Nickel, Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Iron and Zinc). The results of the analysis revealed that; some of the selected water quality parameters were within the accepted WHO standards in the three communities while some parameters are not within accepted standards especially Lead which is higher than accepted standard at 100m and 150m away from the waste dumpsite in the three communities, Water quality index (WQI = 0.87) for water sample obtained at distances of 100m away from the waste dumpsite in Aluu was not good for drinking, while WQI of 0.71 and 0.63 for sample obtain at 150 and 200m respectively were poor, therefore, need minor treatment before drinking , WQI for water sampled from Eneka at distances of 100m and 150m away from dumpsite were not for drinking (WQI = 1.05 and 0.87) while the water sampled from 2000m was  good for drinking (WQI = 0.46) while for Trans-amadi, the water sampled at distances of 100m and 150m are not good for drinking (WQI = 1.01 and 0.96) while water sampled  at 200m is poor therefore, need minor treatment before drinking (WQI = 0.73).. It was concluded that groundwater system close to waste dumpsites in Rivers State are polluted.