Waste Disposal and Groundwater Quality in Owerri, Nigeria

Groundwater supply in the city of Owerri is obtained from the semi-confined aquifer occurring at depths of 50 m to 80 m. Common sources of groundwater pollution are leachate from waste dumpsites and sewage from septic tanks. Over seven waste dumpsites exist in Owerri metropolis, and a septic tank is a common feature in every household. Analysis of the groundwater quality shows that the dissolved solid and bacteria exceed the maximum permissible limit allowed for drinking water. The scenario is primarily due to the inability of the underlying rock and the coastal plain sand, to geochemically attenuate the contaminants adequately. Proper treatment of water from both the private and public boreholes should be enforced.