Assessment of Landfill Induced Ground Water Pollution of Selected Boreholes and Hand-Dug Wells around Ultra-Modern Market Dutse North- West, Nigeria

Despite the robust understanding of groundwater sources’ safety, its pollution can lead to serious public health crisis. This study was conducted to assess the water quality of groundwater sources very close to the landfill site around ultra-modern market in Dutse, Nigeria. Systematic random sampling was adopted for collecting six (6) samples; three (3) bore-hole and three (3) hand-dug water samples from different locations around the landfill site. Water samples collected were subsequently assessed for physico-chemical and microbiological analyses. The concentrations of metals and bacteriological contamination coupled with other water quality parameters in some of the sampled locations slightly exceeded the World Health Organisation (WHO) water quality guidelines and Nigeria Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ) maximum acceptable limits. Temperature ranged from 27.4 to 30.10C coupled with mean pH (8.06), Nitrate (1.051 mg/l), Sulphate (0.2403 mg/l) `Cadmium (0.1833 mg/l), Zinc (0.0695 mg/l), Lead (0.0718 mg/l) and total bacterial counts (9.6x 101 to 12.2x 101 cfu/ml). Even though the landfill is improperly sited and designed, the results obtained indicate that all the borehole and hand-dug well water samples were polluted thereby requiring treatment before it can be passed fit for human consumption. However, detailed analysis of groundwater flow direction in the study area is highly required to safeguard the exploration and exploitation of groundwater with a view to forestalling impending public health crisis.