Akoachere Richard Ayuk II^1,, Eyong Thomson Areakpoh², Omogbemi Omoloju Yaya³

Dugwell construction parameters (Apron, collar, and cover), and dugwell placement parameters (distance to toilets and distance to dumpsites) could be important factors that may increase the vulnerability of dugwells in phreatic aquiferous formations to biological contamination in Garoua. The objective of this study was to elucidate the role of well construction and well placement parameters on the coliform contamination of groundwater from dugwells in Garoua. According to Cheesbrough classification, coliform bacteria ranged (MPN) from; 0-3000 Wet season, 0-3000 Wet-Dry Season, 2-3000 Dry Season and 1-3000 in the Dry-Wet Season; thus groundwater samples were grossly polluted to unacceptable with coliform present in all seasons. Based on WHO classification most of the groundwater sampled was unfit for domestic purposes in all seasons due to pollution by potentially harmful microorganisms. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) performed on dugwell construction and placement parameters in Garoua produced three clusters based on spatial similarities and dissimilarities. Pearson’s Correlation Analysis (PCA) showed that significant correlations exists between distances from the nearest toilets and dump sites, wells without Aprons, wells without cover, wells without collars and the bacteriological loads in the dugwell groundwater samples which are thus the parameters responsible for the coliform contamination of the aquiferous formations in Garoua.

Statistical-evaluation, Dugwell-construction-parameters, Groundwater-contamination, Garoua-Cameroon