VOL. 10, NO. 16, SEPTEMBER 2015 ARPN Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences ©2006-2015 Asian Research Publishing Network (ARPN). All rights reserved. ISSN 1819-6608 6804 www.arpnjournals.com PARAMETERS OF WATER QUALITY IN HAND DUG WELLS (HDW) FROM HARDO WARD, BAUCHI METROPOLIS, NIGERIA Muhammad Adamu Isah 1 , Olugbenga B. E. Salau 1 Adamu Isa Harir 2 , Muhammad Ali Chiroma 2 and AdamuAdamu Umaru 1 1 Faculty of Engineering and Engineering Technology, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria 2 Faculty of Environmental Technology, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria E-mail: adamuharir@gmail.com ABSTRACT The study analysed the water quality of Hand dug wells (HDWs) from Hardo ward, Bauchi metropolis, Nigeria for the Physical, Chemical and Bacteriological parameters. The study used standard laboratory techniques for the water quality analysis and the results were evaluated based on the benchmark standards of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nigerian Standard of Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ). A random sampling method was used to select20 HDWs for the water quality analysis. Excel 2007 software was used for data analysis and the results were presented in Figures and Tables. The results of water quality from HDWs were found to fall within or below or in excess of the safety limits of drinkable water based on the benchmark standard set by the WHO and the NSDWQ. The study concluded that the quality of water from HDWs in Hardo ward were not suitable for drinking. The study recommended regular monitoring of ground water quality and a further research to determine the sources of ground water pollution in the study area. Keywords: water quality analysis, parameters, drinking water, hand dug wells, Bauchi Nigeria. INTRODUCTION The quality of water used for drinking or any domestic purpose is an important factor in public health. Poor quality water can cause a disease outbreak and according to world health organization abou t 40% of the diseases in the world are due to consumption of polluted groundwater [1] and in developing countries about 75% of diseases are induced by polluted water WHO [2]. Water is most abundant occupying about 75% of the earth’s surface, but access to potable water that is safe for drinking and sanitation is a global issue [3]. According to [4] about 1 billion people lacked access to adequate supply of potable water across the world and [5] observed that in most developing countries access to good quality water is lacking. In this situation of acute shortages of potable water [4] urban dwellers resort to groundwater sources for domestic water supply including water for drinking. In Nigeria, about 70% of the population relied on groundwater as the most important source of drinking water [1] and for the majority of the lower income residents water is obtained through the construction from hand dug wells. These sources are often susceptible to pollution as [6] observed that in the low income, high densityresidential areas of cities in the developing countries hand dug wells are highly susceptible to several sources of pollution. This implied the need to assess water quality from HDW in order to determine their safety for drinking. In Nigeria, studies [7; 8; 9; 10] have observed water pollution in HDW due to factors such as poor location of wells, land use and construction standards of the wells. Similarly, [11; 12] have indicated the need to monitor ground water quality from hand dug wells in Nigeria due to the shallow depth and vulnerability to several sources of pollution. Furthermore, the ground water pollution may only be noticed when the water is consumed and negative impacts becomes obvious. Therefore, a regular water quality assessment is necessary to detect early signs of water pollution [6]. In Bauchi metropolis adequate supply of portable water is lacking [13]. Thus, residents in the low income residential areas such as Hardo ward resorted to sourcing water from hand dug wells due to affordable cost. In Hardo ward, hand dug wells are the most common sources of domestic water supply for drinking and other domestic uses and in most houses a pit latrine is used for sewage disposal. In addition, the area lacks adequate infrastructure for surface water drainage sand solid waste disposal. Furthermore, some of the HDWs are poorly constructed (Figure-1) while some others are located close to pollution sources such as the pit latrines. Therefore, the water from HDWs in Hardo ward should be assessed to ascertain their quality for drinking. Figure-1. A Typical hand dug well in Hardo ward (Source: Field Survey 2014).