Groundwater suitability for domestic use in an industrial Area of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

This study examines the effect of some industrial effluents on the quality of groundwater in shallow wells. Three industries located around Ilorin, central Nigeria were used for the study. Groundwater contamination was evaluated in water samples from six wells. Effluent samples were collected from the outfalls of the study industries and at four locations along a stream that receives effluent from the industries. Both physico-chemical characteristics and heavy metal concentrations were evaluated. The results were compared with the WHO [20] and NIS [21] standards in order to establish its suitability for human consumption. The results revealed that some of wells are contaminated by industrial effluents which renders them unsuitable for human consumption. This follows from the fact that some harmful chemicals were discovered at levels in excess of the WHO permissible values.