Seasonal Variation in the Physico-Chemical and Bacteriological Characteristics of Perched Aquifer Water from Zaria, North-Central Nigeria

Abstract

The seasonal changes in the physiochemical and bacteriological characteristics of groundwater from perched aquifers in Zaria, Kaduna State was studied. Groundwater from hand-dug wells were sampled during the rainy and dry seasons from Samaru and Sabon-gari areas of Zaria and the relevant physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters were analyzed in the laboratory. The results indicated that all the parameters had higher values in the dry season compared with the rainy season except for electrical conductivity, which increased from 1210 S/cm in the dry season to 1913 S/cm in the rainy season. The chemical parameters except calcium and chloride were greater than the World Health Organization and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality maximum permissible limits for safe drinking water in the dry season. The reverse was the case for the rainy season except for the bacteria count. The values of the bacteria counts were higher in dry season than in rainy season due to dilution effect. These results imply that water from the perched aquifers in Samaru and Sabon-gari need to be boiled before used for domestic purposes in the dry season but are good for agricultural purposes. Water for drinking and domestic purposes should be sourced from deeper aquifers through boreholes and the people in the area should maintain a better environmental sanitation practice.