ABSTRACT

Wastes in solid forms are mostly from garbage, agricultural and industrial waste. They are disposed in landfills/dumps where it decomposes and produces a leachate which possess as contaminate to the underlying groundwater. Waste management has remained an environmental problem in Nigeria. This has reflected as random disposal of wastes in unauthorized landfills and dumps along main roads and streets, and the problem is escalating by the generation of huge quantities of waste. In the developing countries as Nigeria, borehole water users rarely treat water before usage and this causes a severe threat to their health causing environmental pollution since they utilized this untreated water for consumption, domestic uses, agriculture and industrial purposes. Some groundwater studies have recorded those leachates from landfill move around in the course of groundwater flow to pollute the underlying aquifer. This study thus assessed the effect of refuse dumpsites on the underground water quality in Ogborhill Aba, Abia State. Borehole water samples were collected from five (5) selected boreholes and their physicochemical parameters were analysed. The Geographical Positioning System (GPS) was used to determine various locations of the selected bore holes. Parameters such as Biochemical Oxygen Demand, Dissolved Oxygen, Sodium, Chlorine, Iron, Copper, Nickel, Zinc, and total coliform count values had mean values of 10.52mg/L, 7.23mg/L, 4.10mg/L, 1.60mg/L, 1.60mg/L, 1.2mg/L, 0.98mg/L and 4,95mg/L respectively, when compared with World Health Organization standard (WHO) were seen to have exceed the recommended values. The research revealed that groundwater flowed carrying along with it dissolved waste materials and leachates which infiltrates into the borehole water and contaminates it, thereby rendering it unsuitable for drinking and domestic use. The research therefore suggests that recycling of municipal waste, proper education and awareness on solid waste management should be encouraged in the study area