PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF WELL-WATER AT MAIKUNKELE, BOSSO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, MINNA, NIGER STATE

Abstract

Access to safe drinking water remains a critical public health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa, where reliance on shallow hand-dug wells exposes vulnerable populations to severe contamination risks. This study assessed the physicochemical and microbiological quality of well-water in Maikunkele, Bosso LGA, Nigeria, to determine its potability against World Health Organisation and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality permissible limits. It employed a cross-sectional descriptive design, purposive sampling was utilized to select five actively used hand-dug wells (W1–W5). Water samples were collected during the peak rainy season (June 2026) following strict aseptic American Public Health Association protocols. Physicochemical parameters (pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, total hardness, alkalinity, turbidity, and total dissolved solids) and microbiological indicators (Total Heterotrophic Plate Count, Total Coliform Count, Total Faecal Coliform Count, Escherichia coli, and Total Fungal Count) were rigorously analyzed. Data were evaluated using descriptive and inferential statistics, benchmarked against the WHO and NSDWQ guidelines. The results revealed a critical dichotomy between the physicochemical and microbiological profiles of the water. Physicochemically, 86% of parameters complied with regulatory limits; however, pH was consistently acidic (5.80–6.02), falling below the 6.5–8.5 standard and posing significant corrosion and heavy metal leaching risks. Microbiologically, the water was severely compromised. Total coliforms were detected in 75% of the sampled wells, and E. coli – a definitive indicator of recent faecal pollution was confirmed in 25% of the wells (W4), which also exhibited the highest overall contamination. Only one well (W2, 25%) met WHO microbiological criteria for potable water, indicating widespread faecal contamination driven by proximity to pit latrines and inadequate well construction. The study concludes that the well water in Maikunkele presents a dangerous "facade of safety." While acceptable physicochemical parameters suggest chemical stability, the pervasive microbiological contamination renders the water fundamentally unsafe for human consumption, exposing the community to acute and chronic waterborne diseases, particularly among vulnerable children. Urgent, multi-tiered interventions are recommended. These include the immediate adoption of point-of-use water treatment (boiling, chlorination, or solar disinfection), structural upgrades to wells (installing tight-fitting covers and concrete aprons), strict regulatory enforcement of the 25-meter well-to-latrine separation distance, and the establishment of community-led water safety committees to ensure sustainable groundwater protection.