Assessment of Surface Water Quality in Selected Locations in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Surface water quality from different locations in Abuja, Nigeria was evaluated using Water Quality Index (WQI) approach to assess the suitability of the  water for human consumption. The WQI was appraised through some important physicochemical and biological parameters such as pH, Total Dissolved  Solids, Electrical Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Turbidity, Total Hardness, Chemical Oxygen Demand, Sulphate, Nitrate, Chromium, Lead, Iron, Zinc, E.  coli and Total Coliform using standard methods. Results obtained were compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for drinking  water. The profiles of the obtained results indicated that, the computed WQI values varied from 61.5053 to 105.4806 with an average value of 83.6655,  indicating that the results oscillated between the “poor water quality” and “unsuitable for drinking purpose” categories, mostly with “very poor water  quality” according to Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI) method. This showed that 66.67 % of the water samples fell within Grade D,  22.22 % fell within Grade C while 11.11 % fell within Grade E category, thus not suited as a source of drinking water. Residents within the city should be  enlightened on the adverse effect of drinking polluted water and the need for treatment before consumption. With the current state of climatic change  and population growth, these results can serve as a baseline study for management of the surface water within Abuja.