Aquifer Characteristics and Groundwater Quality Assessment in Ikwuano Area of Southeastern Nigeria

The present work is a review on the geoelectrical characteristics, and a study of physico-chemical parameters of groundwater in parts of Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria. The aim was to collate, synthesize and analyse geoelectrical parameters from available literature together with physico-chemical parameters in order to evaluate the geophysical and geochemical character of the aquifer systems; and subsequently determine the quality of groundwater in the area. The study shows that aquifer thickness varies from 24.5m to about 201.1m, the Formation Factor ranges from 2.02 to 13.53, and the groundwater is naturally potable. Total Hardness (TH) values range from 17.86mg/l to 46.91mg/l. The concentrations of major cations and anions are far below the permissible limit for drinking and domestic purposes recommended by World Health Organisation (WHO). With respect to agricultural and irrigation purposes, using the values of Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR), Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) and Electrical Conductivity (EC), the groundwater samples are excellent.