Assessment of Drinking Water Quality and Irrigation Indices in the Bajoga Community, Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Groundwater quality and soil characteristics are important considerations in evaluating drinking-water resources and agricultural suitability. This study assessed water from existing wells and boreholes and examined soil properties in the Bajoga community. A well inventory was conducted, and water samples were collected following American Public Health Association (APHA) procedures. Laboratory analyses examined physicochemical parameters and major and trace elemental composition. Irrigation suitability was evaluated using salinity hazard, soluble sodium percentage (SSP), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and Kelley’s ratio, while soil analysis assessed fertility and water retention characteristics. Most measured cations and anions were within the drinking-water reference limits applied in the study, whereas nitrate concentrations slightly exceeded the adopted benchmark. Poor sanitary conditions around wells and fertilizer runoff were considered possible contributors to elevated nitrate concentrations. Salinity hazard, SSP, and SAR indicated suitability for irrigation. However, Kelley’s ratio classified water from motorized wells BH1 and BH3 as good to permissible, while water from hand-dug wells BH4 and BH5 was unsuitable. These differences support preferential use of deeper groundwater sources for irrigation in the assessed locations. The soils exhibited low fertility but good water retention capacity, indicating potential for rain-fed and irrigated fruit and vegetable production with appropriate fertility management. Row intercropping and surface drip irrigation were proposed as management options to improve productivity. The findings provide a basis for selecting irrigation water sources and coordinating water use with soil fertility management in the Bajoga community.