African Journal of Geography and Regional Planning

African Journal of Geography and Regional Planning ISSN 3627-8945 Vol. 7 (8), pp. 001-008, August, 2020. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Assessment of groundwater quality using water quality index and GIS in Jada, northeastern Nigeria

J.M. Ishaku*, A.S. Ahmed, and M.A Abubakar

Department of Geology, Modibbo Adama University of Technology Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria.

Accepted 06 May, 2020

Abstract

Assessment of groundwater quality using WQI and GIS was carried out in Jada area. The results of 11 physic-chemical parameters were used for the calculation of WQI. The results indicated that WQI values ranged from 15-43, and thus indicated well to very good groundwater quality status. The geographical information system using the Inverse Distance Weighted method (IDW) delineated two groundwater quality zones into good and very good potential areas. The hierarchal cluster analysis identified anthropogenic contamination, natural mineralization, reverse cation exchange and cation exchange as the major processes controlling groundwater chemistry. It is recommended that regular groundwater quality monitoring should be encouraged as a strategy towards groundwater quality protection and conservation.

Keywords: WQI, GIS, cluster analysis, anthropogenic contamination, natural mineralization.