Water Quality Index assessment of some selected swimming pools around Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Ogbomoso
Onawumi F. V., and Kareem G. F.
Department of Civil Engineering, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso.
DOI: 10.36108/laujoces/6202.71.0142
Abstract
The usage of swimming pools in guest houses and hotels has been considered as a hazard zone for public health and an en route to transmission of some skin diseases or endemic waterborne diseases. The study hereby focuses on assessing swimming pool water quality in a growing environment mainly occupied by youths. The investigation employs a stratified random sampling technique involving random selection of five hotels with swimming pools in the growing environment of LAUTECH Ogbomoso. Parameters such as temperature, Total dissolved solids (TDS), acidity, alkalinity, salinity, pH, chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), free chlorine, and E. coli were investigated in the laboratory using standard procedures. The results of the analyses were compared with World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Water quality index (WQI) was computed to evaluate the quality of water in each of the five sampled swimming pools. The physicochemical results reveal that the temperature, TDS, Turbidity, Acidity, Alkalinity, salinity, pH, COD, BOD, free chlorine and E. coli ranges from 28.5-30.70C, 55-862 mg/l, 0.0-0.4 NTU, 155-385 mg/l, 15-45 mg/l, 0.6×10-4-0.97×10-3 mg/l, 6.8-7.2, 110-180 mg/l, 100-160 mg/l, 3-5 mg/l, and (2 – 8) cfu /100 mL. Comparing results with permissible standards reveals that the pools did not meet the standards in acidity, free chlorine, and E. coli count having higher values, and pH with lower values. The WQI from a five-point scale (excellent, good, poor, very poor and unsuitable) indicate those that falls into the different categories. The study recommends routine and periodic surveillance of swimming pools to guarantee optimum health and wellbeing of users.
Keyword: Swimming pool, Health, Environment, Routine, Water Quality Index