Hydrogeochemical Characterization and Evaluation of Water Quality in Part of Makurdi, North Central Nigeria

Abstract

A total of thirty-five water samples were collected from ten boreholes, twenty-one hand-dug wells, and four surface water points (River Benue) for physico-chemical and bacteriological analysis. The hydrochemical results were assessed for potability by comparison with the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ, 2015) and the World Health Organization's 2017 guidelines. Hydrochemical plots were employed to classify the water types and elucidate the dominant hydrochemical and geological processes influencing water chemistry. Results showed that eleven of the thirty-five samples failed to meet the established drinking water standards and are therefore deemed unsafe for consumption without adequate treatment. The Piper plot indicated that 57.1% of the samples belonged to the Alkaline water type, while 42.9% were classified as Earth Alkaline. The Durov plot analysis identified simple dissolution or mixing as the principal hydrochemical process, with a subordinate influence from reverse ion exchange. The Gibb’s plot revealed that rock weathering, with an evaporative influence, was the primary geological process governing the water's chemistry.

Keywords: Hydrogeochemical characteristics, water quality evaluation, rock weathering, Makurdi Basin.