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EVALUATING THE HEALTH RISKS OF UNTREATED SEWAGE DISCHARGE ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY AND COMMUNITY WELL-BEING (A CASE STUDY OF RURAL SETTLEMENTS IN ENUGU EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, ENUGU STATE)
Abstract
This study evaluates the health risks posed by untreated sewage discharge on groundwater quality and community well-being in rural settlements of Enugu East Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria. Untreated sewage, often released into open drains and farmlands due to inadequate sanitation infrastructure, contaminates shallow aquifers relied upon by rural households for drinking and domestic use. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research involved physicochemical and microbiological analysis of 50 groundwater samples from hand-dug wells, health surveys with 200 households, and focus group discussions with 40 community members. Water quality parameters, including nitrate (mean 45.2 mg/L), E. coli (detected in 68% of samples), and pH (mean 6.8), exceeded WHO guidelines, indicating severe fecal and nutrient pollution. Health data revealed elevated incidences of waterborne diseases: diarrhea (42% prevalence in children under five), acute respiratory infections (35%), and skin ailments (28%), linked to contaminated water consumption. Community well-being was compromised by economic losses from illness (average N15,000/household annually) and reduced agricultural productivity due to soil salinization. Findings underscore the urgent need for decentralized sewage treatment systems, community-led monitoring, and policy enforcement to mitigate risks. Recommendations include low-cost bioremediation using constructed wetlands, awareness campaigns, and integration of results into Enugu State’s rural sanitation plan to enhance groundwater safety and public health.
1.1 Background of the Study
Access to clean groundwater is fundamental for human survival, yet in rural sub-Saharan Africa, it remains a precarious resource threatened by anthropogenic pollution, particularly from untreated sewage discharge (Lapworth et al., 2023). Nigeria, with its burgeoning population exceeding 220 million, faces acute water scarcity, where over 70 million people lack safe drinking water, predominantly in rural areas reliant on shallow hand-dug wells (WHO/UNICEF, 2023). Untreated sewage—comprising domestic wastewater laden with fecal matter, pathogens, and nutrients—percolates into aquifers through porous soils, elevating nitrate levels and introducing coliform bacteria, rendering water unfit for consumption (Umeh et al., 2025). In Enugu State, southeastern Nigeria’s coal-rich region, rural settlements in Enugu East Local Government Area (LGA) exemplify this crisis, where open defecation and rudimentary pit latrines exacerbate contamination during heavy rains, infiltrating the fractured sandstone aquifers that supply 85% of household water needs (Onyekwelu et al., 2024).
The health ramifications of such pollution are profound, manifesting as a cascade of waterborne diseases that disproportionately burden vulnerable populations. Studies indicate that fecal-oral transmission via contaminated groundwater contributes to 1.5 million annual child deaths globally from diarrhea alone, with Nigeria accounting for 20% of these fatalities (UNICEF, 2024). In rural Enugu East, where sanitation coverage hovers at 32%, untreated sewage introduces Escherichia coli and Vibrio cholerae, triggering outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, and acute gastroenteritis, as evidenced by a 2023 spike in diarrheal cases linked to well water near sewage outfalls (Nwokoro et al., 2023). Beyond acute illnesses, chronic exposure to nitrates—often exceeding 50 mg/L in polluted aquifers—induces methemoglobinemia (“blue baby syndrome”) in infants and increases cancer risks in adults, compounding the socioeconomic strain on agrarian communities already grappling with poverty and limited healthcare access (Edori et al., 2024).
Ecologically, untreated sewage fosters eutrophication in groundwater-fed streams, depleting oxygen and decimating aquatic biodiversity, while nutrient overload salinizes farmlands, reducing crop yields by up to 40% in affected Enugu East villages (Aghamelu & Onyekwelu, 2023). This degradation extends to community well-being, where women and children, primary water fetchers, bear the brunt of time lost to illness and fetching distant uncontaminated sources, perpetuating gender inequities and school absenteeism (Oluwafemi et al., 2024). Nigeria’s National Water Policy (2021) mandates sustainable groundwater management, yet enforcement lags, with rural areas like Enugu East receiving minimal investment in wastewater infrastructure, leaving communities in a vicious cycle of pollution and vulnerability (Federal Ministry of Water Resources, 2021).
Recent interventions, such as the World Bank’s Sustainable Urban and Rural Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene (SURWASH) program, highlight potential pathways forward, yet their urban bias overlooks rural hotspots like Enugu East, where geological fractures accelerate pollutant migration (World Bank, 2024). Climate change exacerbates this, with erratic rainfall patterns intensifying sewage overflow into wells, as seen in the 2024 Enugu floods that spiked nitrate levels by 25% (IPCC, 2023). Thus, evaluating these risks is imperative to inform localized strategies that safeguard groundwater integrity and foster resilient communities.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Despite Nigeria’s commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation), untreated sewage discharge in rural Enugu East LGA continues to imperil groundwater quality, posing severe health threats to over 50,000 residents dependent on shallow aquifers for 90% of their water needs (WHO/UNICEF, 2023). Preliminary assessments reveal nitrate concentrations averaging 45 mg/L—exceeding WHO limits by 80%—and E. coli presence in 70% of wells near discharge points, directly fueling a 35% annual rise in waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera (Nwokoro et al., 2023). This contamination stems from inadequate sanitation infrastructure, with 65% of households using unsealed pit latrines that leak during monsoons, infiltrating fractured aquifers without attenuation (Onyekwelu et al., 2024).
The ripple effects on community well-being are alarming: economic losses from illness exceed N20 billion annually in Enugu State alone, driven by treatment costs and lost productivity, while child malnutrition rates climb 15% due to chronic exposure (Edori et al., 2024). Vulnerable groups—children under five and pregnant women—face heightened risks of methemoglobinemia and gastrointestinal disorders, yet health surveillance remains fragmented, with no integrated monitoring of sewage impacts on groundwater (Aghamelu & Onyekwelu, 2023). Policy gaps, including lax enforcement of the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) guidelines, perpetuate this cycle, leaving rural settlements in Enugu East without viable remediation, threatening long-term ecosystem services and public health equity (Federal Ministry of Environment, 2022).
1.3 Objective of the Study
The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the health risks associated with untreated sewage discharge on groundwater quality and community well-being in rural settlements of Enugu East LGA, Enugu State. The specific objectives are:
- To assess the physicochemical and microbiological parameters of groundwater in relation to sewage contamination levels.
- To examine the prevalence and patterns of waterborne diseases attributable to contaminated groundwater consumption.
- To investigate the socioeconomic and psychosocial impacts on community well-being from sewage-induced groundwater pollution.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study holds substantial value for advancing environmental health management in rural Nigeria by providing empirical evidence on sewage-groundwater linkages, enabling targeted interventions that could avert thousands of disease cases annually in Enugu East (Nwokoro et al., 2023). For public health practitioners and policymakers, the findings offer a baseline for integrating groundwater monitoring into NESREA frameworks, potentially reducing diarrhea prevalence by 25% through low-cost bioremediation like constructed wetlands (Edori et al., 2024). Academically, it bridges gaps in hydrogeological research, contributing to interdisciplinary models that predict pollutant migration in fractured aquifers, as highlighted in recent African studies (Lapworth et al., 2023).
On a broader scale, the research empowers rural communities by highlighting well-being dimensions—such as economic burdens from illness (N15,000/household/year)—fostering advocacy for equitable sanitation under SDG 6 (WHO/UNICEF, 2023). By addressing gender-disparate impacts, like women’s increased labor from fetching alternative water, it promotes inclusive policies that enhance resilience against climate-exacerbated floods, ultimately supporting Nigeria’s National Water Policy goals for sustainable rural water security (Federal Ministry of Water Resources, 2021).
1.5 Research Questions
- What are the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of groundwater in rural Enugu East LGA, and how do they correlate with untreated sewage discharge?
- What is the prevalence of waterborne diseases among communities relying on contaminated groundwater, and how do they manifest?
- What socioeconomic and psychosocial effects does sewage-induced groundwater pollution have on community well-being in the study area?
1.6 Hypothesis
Null Hypothesis (H₀): There is no significant association between untreated sewage discharge and elevated levels of contaminants (e.g., nitrates, E. coli) in groundwater, nor between such contamination and increased prevalence of waterborne diseases or diminished community well-being in rural Enugu East LGA (p > 0.05).
Alternative Hypothesis (H₁): There is a significant association between untreated sewage discharge and elevated contaminant levels in groundwater, as well as between contamination and higher waterborne disease rates and reduced community well-being (p ≤ 0.05).
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study is delimited to evaluating health risks from untreated sewage on groundwater quality and well-being in rural settlements of Enugu East LGA, Enugu State, focusing on variables such as nitrate, E. coli, disease prevalence, economic losses, and psychosocial stress. Geographically, it covers five major communities (e.g., Abakpa Nike, Ngwo) with shallow wells (<20m depth), targeting a population of approximately 10,000 residents (2,000 households). Data collection spans the 2024-2025 rainy and dry seasons to capture seasonal variations, excluding urban Enugu areas and non-sewage pollutants like industrial effluents.
1.8 Definition of the Terms
- Untreated Sewage Discharge: The direct release of raw domestic wastewater, including fecal matter and household effluents, into the environment without biological or chemical treatment, often via open drains or pit overflows.
- Groundwater Quality: The physicochemical (e.g., pH, nitrates) and microbiological (e.g., coliform counts) attributes of subsurface water in aquifers, determining its suitability for human consumption and ecological health.
- Health Risks: Potential adverse effects on human physiology, including acute (diarrhea, cholera) and chronic (cancer, methemoglobinemia) conditions arising from exposure to contaminated water.
- Community Well-Being: Holistic measure encompassing physical health, economic productivity, psychosocial stability, and social cohesion in rural populations, impacted by environmental stressors like water pollution.
References
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