1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
Water plays an essential role in human life.Although statistics, the WHO reports thatapproximately 36% of urban and 65% ofruralOrlu zone will be without access to safe drinking water. It is even more important for the human being as they depend upon it for food production, industrial and waste disposal, as well as cultural requirement. According to WHO organization, about 80% of all the diseases in human beings are caused by water.
Ground water is ultimate and most suitable fresh water resource for human consumption in both urban as well as rural areas. The importance of ground water for existence of human society cannot be overemphasized. There are several local government areas in Orlu zone where more than 90% population isdependent on groundwater for drinking and other purposes.
Ground water is also frequently used as the alternative source for agricultural and industrial sector.The groundwater chemistry is controlled by the composition of its recharge components as well as by geological and hydrological variations within the aquifer. Many a time ground water carries higher mineral contents than surface water, because there is slow circulation and longer period of contact with sediment materials in case of groundwater. The problems of groundwater quality are much more acute in the areas which are densely populated, thickly industrialized and have shallow groundwater tables.
The rapid growth of urban areas has further affected groundwater quality due to overexploitation of resources and improper waste disposal practices. Hence, there is always a need for and concern over the protection and management of groundwater quality. Thus, in this paper an attempt has been made to assess the physical and chemical properties of groundwater.
Ground water is a key resource supporting many aspects of ORLU ZONE's way of life. It replenishes our streams and rivers and provides fresh water for irrigation, industry, and communities. In addition, ground water is the source of drinking water for 95% of ORLU ZONE citizens. As ORLU ZONE's population grows, so does the need for clean, usable ground water.
Department of Environmental Water Quality is responsible for protecting the quality of ground water in ORLU ZONE and relies on a combination of programs to protect ground water from pollution, clean up degraded ground water, and monitor and assess ground water quality. Department of Environmental Water Quality's ground water policy is to maintain and protect the existing high quality of ORLU ZONE's ground water and restore degraded ground water where feasible to support ground water beneficial uses. Department of Environmental Water Quality partners with the ORLU ZONE Department of Agriculture (ISDA), ORLU ZONE Department of Water Resources (IDWR), and many other state, local, and private agencies, organizations, businesses, and individuals to achieve this goal.
1.2 Problem Statement
- At this time, groundwater stresses are growing due to population growth and urbanization, resource development (particularly in the energy sector) climate change impact, agricultural intensification and practices, contaminated sites and more.
- These stresses mean that local groundwater supplies may be at risk due to the lack of knowledge about this critical resource.
- Also, over the decades, no or little attention has been given to geologic input on the quality assessment of groundwater.
Hence this work is designed to assess the quality status of groundwater in Orlu zone, Imo state bearing in mind the natural and anthropogenic inputs.
1.3 Aim / Objective of the Study
The goals/objective of this study is to:
- To determine the number of sampled sites and reliable groundwater-quality analyses in the study area,
- Summarize general water properties and the concentrations of selected inorganic and organic constituents,
- Map sample locations and identify sites where concentrations exceed critical values,
- Interpret the sources of chemicals found in groundwater.
1.4 Significance of the Study
Groundwater resource plays significant role in the social and economic life of the people in terms of domestic, industrial and agricultural use. Hence, this research is of paramount importance considering the fact that high percentage of contaminants in the water has become a serious problem to man and the society.
Therefore, this work will assess and determine the physicochemical nature, the most relevant controls on the water quality, and the dominant chemical processes which control the groundwater composition in the study area.
1.5 Scope of the Study
The scope of this work includes the following:
- Collection of one (1) groundwater sample from each of the six local Government Areas of Orlu geopolitical zone of Imo State.
- Analysis of the water samples on pH conductivity, sulphate, phosphate, chloride, silica, fluoride, total hardness, total alkalinity, iron, magnesium, potassium and nitrate.
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