ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF SURFACE WATER FOR IRRIGATION PURPOSE

ABSTRACT

The study areas (Water works, Ureje and Kurundu) are situated in Ado Local Government Area of Ekiti State, and lies within latitude 7°45'N and 7°25'N and longitude 5°60'E and 6°00'E respectively. The study area also falls within the basement complex of south western Nigeria. The dominant lithologies include migmatities, granite gneisses, quartzites, charnockites and granites. Physical, chemical and bacteriological evaluation of surface water in the study areas were carried out to ascertain its suitability for irrigation uses. Water samples were collected at different localities in the study areas. Three different surface water were sampled for their physical, chemical and bacteriological properties and were compared with FAO (2006) standards. The physical parameter shows that PH ranges from 7.4 to 7.7 which is slightly alkaline, the chemical parameter revealed that turbidity value ranges from 5.5 to 6.0 NTU, total dissolved solids (80 to 117ppm), total alkalinity (98.40 to 101.67 mg/I), EC (124 to 179us/cm), total hardness (99 to 149 mg/1), chloride (16.30 to 34.40 mg/I), nitrate (0.91 to 1.47 mg/I), sulphate (34.10 to 69.04 mg/I), BOD (1.7 to 1.9 mg/I), total coliform count (09 to 14 cfu/mi), E.coli is (negative to positive) facial streptococci and S.aaerus are positive, pb (0.030 to 0.107 ppm), Zn ( 0.174 to 0.245 ppm), Fe (0.741 to 1.92 ppm), Cu (0.083 to 0.187ppm) and Mn (0.047 to 0.113ppm). Some fall in the standard given by FAO (2006) while other are above and below. The PH and TSS for all samples fall within the given standard.