Assessment of Aquifer Characteristics and Groundwater Quality in parts of Niger State, North-Central Nigeria

Abstract

For an effective water supply and management, the quantity and quality of water sources must be known. To this end, an assessment of aquifer transmissivity, yield and groundwater quality in parts of Niger State, North-central Nigeria has been made. Niger State lies between 400E to 715E of the Greenwich Meridian and latitude 815N to 1115N of the Equator covering a land mass of about 80,000km2. Transmissivity values were calculated using Jacob and Theis methods. Jacobs method reveals that trasmissivity values range from 2.0m2/d to 700m2/d with a mean value of 82.6m2/d while trasmissivity via Theis method varies from 4.0m2/d to 1000.0m2/d with an average value of 152.0m2/d. the borehole yield varies from (0.810.0)l/s and a mean value of 3.0l/s while the static water level (SWL) ranges from 2.3m to 38.7m with an average value of 8.3m. The total drill depth (TDD) is of the order of 18.0m to 98.0m and an average drill depth of 59.0m. The local geology hosting the wells is majorly the Basement Complex followed by sedimentary basins while few locations occurred along transitional zones. The findings show that the area has low to high groundwater potentials according to Gheorghe and Kransy standards. The analyzed physio-chemical and bacteriological parameters agree favorably with the World Health Organization and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality. This implies that the water is fit for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes.