TITLE:
Drinking Water Quality in Shallow Wells in Kipsonoi Sub Catchment in Bomet County, Kenya
AUTHORS:
Janeth Segut, Mary Makokha, Kennedy Obiero
KEYWORDS:
Drinking Water, Groundwater Quality, Groundwater Pollution, Groundwater, Shallow Wells, Water Quality Parameters, Kipsonoi Sub-Catchment
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.11 No.10,
October
28,
2024
ABSTRACT: Water from the shallow wells is at risk of pollution due to agricultural activities through surface runoff carrying feacal matter, herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. This study looks at the status of the drinking water quality of the shallow wells in Kipsonoi Sub Catchment and its suitability for human consumption. The study objectives are: To determine the basic physical, chemical and biological indicator parameters in shallow wells in the Kipsonoi Sub catchment. Water samples from 31 shallow wells were sampled during the wet season (April) and dry season (January) and analyzed for physical, chemical and biological parameters. Standard methods for the analysis of water samples in the laboratory were used, and the results compared to the guideline values of NEMA, USEPA and WHO. The WQI for the water samples for the sub-catchment was calculated to ascertain whether it is suitable for human consumption. 61.29% of the sampled shallow wells had nitrate contamination, 70.97% had turbidity contamination, and 80.66% had faecal coliform pollution and did not meet the NEMA, USEPA and WHO set standards. Additionally, the student’s t-test performed at 95% confidence interval revealed that there was a significant difference (p ≤ 0.05) between the means of E. coli levels for shallow wells in the dry and wet seasons. High levels of faecal coliform were observed in the wet season as compared to the dry season indicating that animal and human wastes were primary contributors to pollution particularly during the wet season. The results of the shallow well sampling indicate significant contamination with nitrates, turbidity and fecal coliform. The water quality in the Kipsonoi Sub Catchment is significantly impacted by agricultural activities, leading to high levels of nitrates and turbidity in the shallow wells, indicating the need for Government partnering together with the community in an effort to reduce this contamination and hence protect the shallow wells.