WATER QUALITY APPRAISAL OF BOREHOLES AND WELLS IN BURUKU, CHIKUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA.

The importance of the water quality assessment for boreholes and wells used for drinking purposes cannot be overemphasized, being the common sources of domestic water. Water samples were collected from six selected hand-dug wells and boreholes in Buruku settlement, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Nigeria and were subjected to physical, chemical and biological investigation. The minimum value of Turbidity of the wells was recorded at W1 (0.8 NTU), while the maximum value occurred at W6 (6.9 NTU). Similarly, the minimum turbidity of the boreholes was achieved at B5 (0.5 NTU), while the highest value was observed at B1 (8.5 NTU). Equally, the minimum and maximum values of pH, Dissolved oxygen, BOD, Total solids and faecal coliform for the wells were noted as 6.44 (W1) and 6.65 (W3), 0.50 mg/l (W4) and 1.2 mg/l (W2), 0.20 mg/l (W2 and W4) and 0.70 mg/l (W2), 230 mg/l (W3) and 1470 (W5), 1×104 per 100 ml (W1 and W4) and 8×104 per 100 ml, respectively. Likewise, the lowest and extreme values of pH, Dissolved oxygen, BOD, Total solids and faecal coliform for the Boreholes were noted as 6.33 (B1) and 6.55 (B5), 0.30 mg∕l (B6) and 1.60 mg∕l (B1), 0.10 mg∕l (B4, B5 and B6) and 0.20 mg/l (B1, B2 and B3), 220 mg/l (B1) and 1090 mg/l (B2), 0 per 100 ml (B4 and B5) and 3×104 per 100 ml (B1 and B2), respectively. The analysed parameters were compared with WHO standards for drinking water, which indicated that some of the parameters exceeded the threshold level, indicating a possible contamination of the water. It is therefore recommended that some treatment techniques are needed to improve the quality of the water.