Subsurface Investigation for Effective Water Resource Prospect: A Panacea to Problem of Water Supply Services in the Built Environment of the Newly Created Areas in Anambra, Nigeria

Abstract

The creation of new Local Government Areas (LGA) in Nigeria has brought about problem of water scarcity due to population increase and consequent increase in the construction of residential buildings; especially in the south east in the recent time . Ihiala LGA is a case under study. Since the creation of Ihiala local government area in Anambra State of Nigeria, there is the need for underground water resource development for effective water supply system towards sustainable housing in the area due to population increase, and development of more residential buildings. By using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) technique in geophysical survey of the subsurface, it was discovered that there are about six litho-logical units in the area. The subsurface litho-logy, aquifer depth and their dispositions, were probed using Abem Tetrameters 300 SAS and Geographic Information System equipments to identify the resistivity of the formations. In the area, sand stone deposit is prominent at the upper levels between 3 to 27 meters. Aquifer depth is located within 75 to 120 meters. The saturated sand stones significantly occur within the 3rd and 5th layers of the litho-logical horizons. The aquifer is mostly semi confined, and composed of sand, silty sand and sand-stone mineral aggregates. Subsurface water resources exploitation using borehole facility in the area therefore should reference these discoveries for easy and sustainable underground water resource development, to meet the people daily need for good water in the study area.