Assessment of Groundwater and Surface Water Pollution at Mitm Area, Ibb City, Yemen

Abstract

Groundwater and surface water samples were collected from Mitm area to study the possible impact of wastewater treatment percolation into the groundwater and surface water. The objective of the study is to assess the groundwater and surface water pollution due to wastewater treatment at Mitm area of Ibb city, in the Republic of Yemen. The concentrations of various physiochemical parameters include heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, Cu) pH, temperature, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), and Dissolved Oxygen (DO), anions and nutrients (F-, Cl-, SO₄^-2, NO₂, NO₃^-,NH₃-N), major cations (Fe, Na, K, Ca, Mg) and parameters (COD, BOD₅, and coliform group bacteria) were measured from the groundwater samples. The results show that three out of five boreholes are contaminated, where the concentration of physic-chemical parameters are above the standard acceptable levels which required for drinking water adapted by Yemen's Ministry of Water and Environment (YMWE, 1999). On the other hand, surface water is affected by the discharge of untreated wastewater. The concentrations of physiochemical parameters are above the standard acceptable levels which required for irrigation purpose adopted by Yemen's Ministry of Water and Environment (YMWE, 1999). Boreholes 1 and 2 are suitable for drinking water, whereas boreholes 3, 4 and 5 are not suitable for drinking water. Therefore, urgency for wastewater treatment at this site is recommended to prevent further contamination to surface and groundwater.