NIGERIAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY CONFERENCE OSOGBO,2009 PAPER PRESENTATION ON INVESTIGATION OF SACHET WATER QUALITY IN ABEOKUTA, OGUN STATE, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA. AWOMESO et al. BY ODJEGBA ENOVWO E.

INTRODUCTION Safe drinking water and sanitation has been important issues in the world. Mortality and morbidity from water related diseases has been a source of concern to many governments as well as organizations in the world. According to a 2007 WHO report 1.1 billion people lack access to an improved drinking water supply. In Nigeria, state governments are saddled with the responsibility of providing drinking water to the populace via public water supply schemes. Increased population growth and lack of expansion of these water schemes has left the public at the mercy all water sources including sachet water (pure water) for their drinking water needs.

DESCRIPTION OF STUDY AREA Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria, occupies a geographical area of 1256sqkm with a population of about 1,950,860 inhabitants according to 2006 Nigerian population census. The city is about 100km north of Lagos and 80km Southwest of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. It is situated within the rainforest belt of the tropics lying between latitude 7006’ and 7013’ North and longitude 3015’ and 3025’ East.

METHODOLOGY A reconnaissance survey of the various ‘sachet water’ producing factories was first carried out to determine the type of water sources used in the various factories visited an in the end 20 brands were chosen, 10 from tap water sources (water from public water supply scheme) and 10 from borehole sources. Physico-chemical analysis was carried out on these samples for pH, Conductivity, TDS, Total Hardness, Alkalinity, Chloride, Calcium, Copper, Lead, Zinc, Nitrate and Total Coliform Count.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION After results were compiled, each tested parameter was compared with the WHO drinking water quality standards. The pH, Conductivity, TDS, Total Hardness, Total alkalinity, Calcium, Chloride values fell within the maximum allowable limits of WHO (1993). 8 brands had NO3 values outrageously high above the recommended standard of 50mg/l set by WHO. Pb values of all the brands were discovered to be above 0.01mg/l limit set by WHO. Pb values of all the brands were discovered to be above 0.01mg/l limit set by WHO. 12 brands had Cu values higher than the 2mg/l recommended by WHO.

CONCLUSION With the exception of Pb, NO3 and Cu, all other parameters fell within the maximum acceptable limits by WHO. Therefore, these ‘pure water’ factories are strongly adviced to construst mini-water treatment plants to further treat their water before packaging irrespective of the source of the water and the bodies in Nigeria that are in charge of enforcing the quality products i.e. National Food, Drugs, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) as well as Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) should improve on their measures for enforcing product standards.

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