Quality Assessment of Drinking Water from Selected Boreholes in Turaki B Ward, Jalingo Metropolis, Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study assessed the quality of water from selected boreholes in Turaki B Ward, Jalingo Local Government Area, Taraba State, Nigeria, with the aim of determining their physicochemical and microbiological characteristics and comparing the results with the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) permissible limits. Water samples from two selected boreholes, designated Samples A and B, were analysed using standard laboratory procedures. Physicochemical parameters assessed included colour, pH, temperature, turbidity, total hardness, alkalinity, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity, iron, zinc, manganese, copper and chromium, while microbiological analyses covered total heterotrophic bacteria, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Salmonella/Shigella and Bacillus subtilis. Results showed that colour (0 TCU), pH (7.15 and 6.78), temperature (32.90 and 33.20°C), total hardness (60.00 and 50.00 mg/L), alkalinity (110.00 and 60.00 mg/L), electrical conductivity (466.00 and 565.00 µS/cm), zinc (0.10 and 0.12 mg/L), manganese (0.06 and 0.10 mg/L) and copper (0 and 0.01 mg/L) were within NSDWQ limits. However, TDS in Sample B (457.00 mg/L) was below the limit but was classified as unacceptable in the provided result, while iron concentrations were 0.27 and 0.51 mg/L, with the value in Sample B exceeding the permissible level. Chromium concentrations (0.12 and 0.11 mg/L) exceeded the allowable limit in both samples. Microbiological results revealed elevated total heterotrophic counts, total coliforms, E. coli, Salmonella/Shigella and B. subtilis, indicating microbial contamination.