Assessment of Water Quality of Major Water Sources for Domestic Use in Shelleng Town, Shelleng LGA Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper presents the empirical assessment of major water sources used for domestic purposes in Shelleng town. Shelleng LGA Adamawa State, Nigeria located at Latitude 90 53’ 5” N and Longitude 120 0’ 32” E. Portable domestic water supply is requisite for good health, but access to a safe and sustainable water supply has been a challenge in many developing countries for several decades. Water free from pathogenic agents, harmful chemical substances, and pleasant to taste is good for healthy living. For many centuries, farming, fishing, and rearing of animals have been the major occupation of the people of the land. Aside from the naturally dissolved minerals in groundwater, the physicochemical properties of water will be changed due to contaminants such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer in addition to the use of farm tools for both commercial and subsistence farming. The objective of the research is to examine the physicochemical properties of the water samples in shelleng for domestics’ usage; where about 90% of humans and animals patronize the same water source in the area. In many cases such activities and the habit of open defecation, dumping of domestic and automobile waste such as battery and fuel along undesignated areas makes the water bodies both surfaces and groundwater susceptible to contamination. This suggests that a water treatment plant must be installed within Shelleng municipal to ensure safe and potable water for domestic uses.