ASSESSMENT OF WATER QUALITY OF HAND-DUG WELLS FOR DOMESTIC USE IN YANDEIKYA, BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Quality assessment of hand dug well water was carried out in Vandeikya, Benue State. The quality assessment was done to determine the suitability of water in the area for domestic use. The grap method of sampling water was employed to obtain ten (10) well water samples from five wards in Vandeikya. The water samples were collected in 500ml plastic containers and laboratory analyses was carried. Result of analysis showed that water in most wells have their properties within the allowable limit considered safe for drinking water recommended by World Health Organization. Though most wells have the concentration of substances within acceptable values for drinking water, turbidity and iron of some wells have exceeded the permissible limit recommended for drinking water. This indicates that the presence of these properties in well water in the area will constitute a pollution problem thus making some of the wells, objectionable for domestic use. To improve the quality in well water there is the need for regular monitoring of water from all sources to ensure that substances in water are within the safe limit consider for domestic use. Boreholes should be provided to improve both quantity and quality water in the area. Treatment of water should be pursued as a way of reducing the intensity of pollutants in water especially along River Aya, the main surface supply source and government should be more responsive in the provision of potable water to the population of the area.