Quality Appraisal of Old and New ( Greater ) Water Works in Makurdi . Benue State Nigeria

Abstract

The increase in the level of pollution of river Benue due to   human activity has necessitated the analysis and the evaluation of treated water at the greater water works in  Makurdi    to  know if   the water is really free from hazardous or dangerous chemical pollutants  , to prevent water users from infection and water borne diseases  and to see if water quality standards are adhered to . The new water works  commissioned recently in Makurdi Benue State  christened GREATER WATER WORKS is  estimated to be …50,000m³/ day capacity and 3x more than the former old water works which was18,000m³ /day . The quality of water was done on the raw water from the intake which is River Benue,  the old  and greater water works .  Considering the statistics already existing of the quality of water in the old water works , the following were assessed.  Turbidity was  assesed from an average value of 450.33 treated to 1.45 FTU  in the old water works  and 0.28 FTU in the greater water works respectively .   Color was treated from an average value of 224  to 2.33 TCU in the old water works and 0. 0 in the greater water works  respectively. Among the mineral elements , calcium  was treated from an average value of 60mg/l  to 20mg/l  in both old and greater water works respectively, magnesium was treated from the average of 26.7 to 20mg/l while nitrates were treated from an average value of 38.4 to 8mg/l in old water works and 7mg/l in greater water works respectively.  Bacterial  load of  1800  in raw water was  treated  to 1.0 in the old water works and 0.0 in the greater water works. The treatment chemicals were not altered in this new scheme apart from increase in application due to expansion in capacity . Introduction of hrodrocyclone removes sand and gravel while filtration is carried out after aeration in order to remove the iron in water through coagulation . This was not the case in the old water works , these essentials were absent .

Keywords Analysis  , Equipment  , Filtration  ,Greater  , Water