Aromatic, Food and Medicinal Plants Research Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, University of Sciences, Technologies, Engineering and Mathematics of Abomey (UNSTIM), 01 PO Box 72 Natitingou, Benin
Drinking water is the source of domestic wastewater, which mainly degrades the environment and therefore affects the health of those involved in the process because the human body contains about 80%. The lack of information on the quality of well water leads the population of northern Benin, where the problem of drinking water is a real one, to use well water like drinking water without any treatment. This study was undertaken in order to better control the quality of wells waters consumed by the inhabitants of the Camp-Adagbe and Tibona districts in a north of Benin. Qualitative studies based on survey sheets and analyses of physicochemical parameters according to standardized methods were used.
The results show that the majority of the population uses well water compared to drilling and SONEB water due to poor coverage of areas with difficult access to drinkable water. The well waters are acidic (pH: 6.47 0.3), turbid (Turb: 67.36 3.70 NTU), coloured (coul: 62.49 12.10 PtCo) and mineral-laden (Conductivity: 962.17±23.51 μS/cm; Ca2+: 75.45±3.46 mg/L; Mg2+: 118.5±1.81 mg/L). The water from the wells in the Camp-Adagbe and Tibona districts contain pathogenic germs such as E.coli (2 CFU) and total coliforms (3 CFU). Therefore, these waters are not suitable for human consumption according to WHO standards and those defined by Benin. It is therefore necessary that certain water from wells in the Camp-Adagbe and Tibona districts be treated before consumption.