TITLE:
Dynamics of Potable Well Water Quality in Key Mining Chiefdoms in Kono District, Eastern Sierra Leone
AUTHORS:
Richard Tamba Simbo, Alhaji Brima Gogra, Yahaya Kudus Kawa, Juana Paul Moiwo
KEYWORDS:
Temperature, Total Dissolved Solids, Turbidity, Electrical Conductivity, Water Quality
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.14 No.7,
July
30,
2024
ABSTRACT: Groundwater is increasingly being used due to its universal availability and generally good quality. However, the risk of contamination of groundwater due to various human activities such as mining is equally increasing across the globe. In this study, the physical parameters of potable well waters in the key mining areas in Nimikoro and Tankoro Chiefdoms in Kono District were analyzed for compliance with drinking water quality standard. To do this, both unpurged and purged well water samples were collected once every month for a period of one year. Some of the well water properties like temperature, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Electrical Conductivity (EC) were measured on site and others determined in the laboratory. The data collected from the laboratory analyses were statistically analyzed in MS Excel, SPSS and ArcGIS environments for quality trends in time-space fabric. The results showed that well water quality in the study area generally fell short of drinking water quality standards of Sierra Leone and WHO. There were high temperature and turbidity during the dry season and then high TDS and EC during the rainy season. Temperature and turbidity also significantly influenced well water quality in the study area, much more than TDS and EC. The implications for drinking water of lower quality than the standard could be huge for the local population and therefore needs the attention of stakeholders in the study area and decision makers in the country.