EVALUATION OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY FROM SHALLOWHAND-DUG WELLS FOR DOMESTIC AND IRRIGATION USES IN TUDUNWADAAND ENVIRONS, PARTS OF ALKALERI SHEET 150 AND YULI SHEET 171, NORTHEASTERN NIGERIA

The study centres on the hydrochemistry of groundwater from shallow hand-dug wells in Tudun Wada and environs intending to evaluate its quality for domestic and irrigation uses. The area is underlain by both basement and sedimentary rocks. The basement rocks in the area include porphyritic biotite granite and granitic gneiss while sedimentary rocks includes and stone, claystone and shale. Ten (10) pairs of water samples (totalling twenty (20) samples –that is, two samples were collected from a point) were randomly collected from hand dugwells in the study area and analyzed for major cations and anions. The dominant cations and anions were in the order of Mg > Ca > Na > K and HCO3> Cl > NO3>SO4respectively. Results of the water quality analysis were compared with the standards set by the World Health Organization and the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality. Geochemical values of the water samples analyzed showed that groundwater from hand-dug wells in the area are suitable for domestic uses. Groundwater quality from hand-dug wells in the area was also analyzed for its suitability or otherwise, for irrigation using Sodium Absorption Ratio, Residual Sodium Carbonate, Kelley Index, Magnesium Ratio, Percentage Sodium, Permeability Index, Total Hardness, Total Dissolved Solids, and Electrical Conductivity parameters respectively. The result revealed that groundwater from hand-dug wells in the area is good for irrigation according to Sodium Absorption Ratio, Residual Sodium Carbonate, Total Dissolved Solids, Percentage Sodium, Kelley Index, and Permeability Index; poor according to Magnesium Ratio, and partly good according to Electrical Conductivity. The sources of dissolved chemical constituents of groundwater in Tudun Wada and its environs are rocks (sandstone, claystone, shale, porphyritic biotite granite, and granitic gneiss). This is because all the sample points’ fall within the region of rock dominance based on Gibbs’ plot.