INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDWATER QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY: A MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS APPROACH IN ILEJA AREA (ARAROM SEASIDE), SOUTHWESTERN, NIGERIA

HYDROGEOLOGY

Groundwater serves as an important resource in the coastal regions to meet domestic, irrigational, and industrial needs of the inhabitants of Ilaje area, southwest Nigeria. There is an urgent need to evaluate the physicochemical properties of the resource source from the coastal plain sands’ aquifer in Araromi seaside and its environs. For this evaluation, twenty-nine samples were collected from hand dug wells in Ilaje area, Southwestern Nigeria and subjected to the determination of physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, EC, TDS) and major ions (Na+ , K+ , Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl- , SO42- , NO3- , HCO3- ) in accordance with recommended standards and procedures. The results of the dissolved ions in all the twenty-nine water samples were found to be below the permissible limit except for potassium which occurs at a value beyond the permissible 12 mg/l recommended by WHO. This indicates good water quality. The cationic concentration of the samples is in this order; Na+> K+> Mg2+> Ca2+ and the anionic concentration; order HCO3->Cl->SO42->NO3- . This supports the suitability for irrigation usage of the water as shown by results obtained from magnesium adsorption ratio and sodium adsorption ratio. The groundwater in Araromi seaside and its environs is mostly alkaline, soft because it has calcium concentration that is less than 60mg/l. Based on the present study, the water in Araromi seaside and its environs is under no threat to its inhabitants.

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