A Comparative Assessments of Physiocochemical Parameter of Borehole Water in Dekina LGA, Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the spatial distribution and physicochemical quality of borehole water in Dekina Local Government Area, Kogi State, Nigeria, using integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) and statistical techniques. Seventy-five (75) boreholes were purposively selected across three districts—Dekina, Okura, and Biraidu—with twenty-five samples per district. Water samples were analysed for key physicochemical parameters, while spatial data were processed using ArcGIS 10.5. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, Water Quality Index (WQI), one-way ANOVA, multiple regression, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were employed for data analysis at 0.05 significance level. Results revealed a clustered spatial distribution of boreholes with a Nearest Neighbor Index (NNI) of 0.74 (Z = −4.18), indicating significant concentration around major settlements. Physicochemical analysis showed mean pH (6.42), TDS (520.8 mg/L), and Electrical Conductivity (842 µS/cm), with TDS exceeding WHO limits in over 58% of samples. Heavy metals such as lead (mean = 0.021 mg/L) and iron (mean = 0.74 mg/L) also exceeded permissible limits in several locations. Overall compliance with WHO and Nigerian Industrial Standards was 56.7%, indicating that 43.3% of parameters were non-compliant. The computed Water Quality Index (WQI) ranged from 78.4 to 102.6, with a mean value of 90.2, classifying groundwater quality as generally “very poor.” ANOVA results confirmed significant spatial variation in water quality across districts (p < 0.05), with Biraidu exhibiting the highest contamination levels. Regression analysis showed that settlement proximity and land use explained 74% of variation in water quality (R² = 0.74), while PCA identified anthropogenic activities as the dominant controlling factor. The study concludes that groundwater quality in Dekina LGA is moderately to severely degraded and strongly influenced by human activities, necessitating improved environmental management and water quality monitoring.