Assessment of Water Quality of Okomu Wetland Using Water Quality Index

ABSTRACT

The water quality of the Okomu Wetland was evaluated using the Water Quality Index (WQI) technique which provides a number that expresses overall water quality of a water body or water sample at a particular time. Sampling of physicochemical parameters spanned two years covering the wet and dry seasons and the water quality data were obtained from 10 sampling locations; Ponds 36, 52, 54, 61, 64, 90, 94, Arhakhuan Stream, Okomu River (Agekpukpu) and Okomu River (Iron bridge) all within the Okomu National Park. Parameters such as Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Turbidity, pH, Electrical conductivity (EC), Chlorine (Cl), Nitrate (NO3), Sulphate (SO4), Sodium (Na), Magnesium (Mg), (Iron) Fe, Chromium (Cr), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Lead (Pb), and Nikel (Ni) were used to compute WQI and the values obtained for the wetland ranged between 34.36 and 167.28. The Index shows that pond 36, 52 and 54 are unfit for drinking with values between 103.86 and 167.28; ponds 61 and 64 are of the very poor quality category with WQI values of 95.19 and 92.44 respectively, Pond 90, pond 94, Arhakhuan Stream and Okomu River (Agekpukpu) are of poor quality and WQI values between and 53.58 and 73.15. Whereas, the Okomu River (Iron bridge) is within the good water quality (34.36) category. The Okomu River by Iron bridge is of good quality rating while other sampled points were of poor, very poor or unfit for drinking though these water bodies are mostly free from anthropogenic activities because of the conservative status of the study area. A major source of pollution within the wetland is surface runoff. The water quality of the wetland may not be suitable for man’s consumption especially pond water which are majorly impacted by runoff, yet very important for the survival and sustenance of the forest animals and plants. The water quality index (WQI) interprets physicochemical characteristics of water by providing a value which expresses the overall water quality and thus, reveals possible pollution problems of a water body. It turns complex water quality data into information that is easily understandable and usable by scientists, researchers and the general public.

Keywords: Water Quality Index, Ponds, Stream, River, Wetland, Physicochemical parameters

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