Groundwater Quality Dependence on the Spatial Proximity of Geo-located Dumpsites in Samaru-Nigeria

Abstract

The coordinates of 10 solid waste dumpsites in proximity to the boreholes and wells in the Samaru community of Kaduna state, Nigeria were acquired with a GPS-enabled smartphone. In addition, 10 groundwater samples in relation to the dumpsites were collected for the testing of 11 physical and chemical parameters of water quality based on the World Health Organisation (WHO) standard limits. The results of the spatial proximity analyses carried out revealed that the requirement for locating dumpsites was not met as specified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the minimum safe distance from groundwater sources. The results of the study revealed also that a majority (about 90%) of the groundwater samples met the conditions for good drinking water even with their closeness to the dumpsites. However, only Calcium, Dissolved Oxygen, and Biochemical Oxygen Demand concentrations were significantly affected (p < 0.05 at the 95% significance level) by the closeness of the solid waste dumpsites to the boreholes and wells with very strong (R2 = 86%) and strong (R2 = 79%) relationships, respectively. Suggestions were nonetheless made for investigations into other factors responsible for groundwater contamination.