Underground Reservoir In Nigeria: Problem And Prospects
[A CASE STUDY OF SOUTH EAST GEOPOLITICAL ZONE]

INTRODUCTION

 1.0   This chapter introduces what solid wastes are all about including its quality and effects on underground reservoir. Solid wastes commonly known as trashes or garbages are wastes consisting of everyday items we consume and discard.

It predominantly includes food wastes, yard wastes, containers, product packaging, and other miscellaneous inorganic wastes from residential, commercial, institutional and industrial resources.

While underground reservoir is the water found beneath the soil.  Underground reservoir occurs as a result of rain fall entering into the soil surface. It may also occur as a result of percolation from surface water into the soil. When rain falls to the ground, the water does stop, some flow along the surface to the streams or lakes, while some are used by plants, some evaporate and return to the atmosphere while some sink into the ground. When pouring a glass of water into a pile of sand, it is obvious that the water will move into the space between particles of sand. Scientifically, groundwater is found in the cracks and spaces in the soil, sand and rock.

It moves slowly through layers of soil, sand and rock called aquifers. Aquifers typically consist of gravel, sand, stone or fractured rock, like lime stone. These particles are permeable because the large connected spaces that allow water to flow through the speed at which ground water flows depends on the size of spaces in the soil or rock and how well the spaces are connected. The area where water full aquifer is called the saturated zone (or saturation zone).

The top of the zone is called the water table. The water table may be located either a meter below the ground surface or it consists of thirty meter down . Groundwater can be found almost everywhere. The water table may be deep or shallow and may rise or fall depending on many factors.

Heavy rains or melting snow can cause the water table to rise or heavy pumbing groundwater supplies may cause the water table to fall. Water in aquifers is brought to the surface naturally through spring can or be discharged into lakes or streams. Groundwater can also be extracted well drilled into aquifers. A well is a pipe in the ground that fuse with groundwater. The water can be brought to the surface by a pump. Some wells called artesian wells, do not need a pump because of natural pressure that forces water up and out of the well. Underground reservoir supplies are replenished or recharged by rain and snow melt. In some areas of the world, people face serious shortages of water because groundwater is used faster than it is naturally replenished or recharged. If ground becomes polluted, it will no longer be safe to drink.  Underground reservoir is used for drinking water by more than 50% of the people. In the United States including almost everyone who lives in rural areas it is important for all of us to learn how to protect our underground reservoir because of its importance as a source of water for drinking and irrigation.

In other areas underground reservoir is polluted by human activities, in areas where material above the aquifer is permeable, pollutant can be easily sunk into the underground reservoir. Underground reservoir can be polluted by landfills, septic tanks, leaking underground gas tanks, and from over use of residual single and multi-dwellings, food wastes, wood, papers, cardboards, textile leather, yardwastes, wood, glass, metals, ashes, special wastes(e.g bulky items, tyres) and household are hazardous wastes. Industrial light and heavy manufacturing, fabrications, power and chemicals and plants, house keeping wastes, packaging, food wastes, construction and demolition materials, ashes are specials wastes. 

In other words wastes from hotels, restaurants, markets, office building( paper, card board, food, plastic, glass metals), institutional schools, hospitals, prisons, government centres, heavy and light manufacturing refineries, chemical plant, mineral extraction, industrial scrap materials, municipal services, street cleaning , land scraping, parks bleaching, recreational areas, water and wastes water management plant contribute immensely to the contamination of groundwater and they  are the most common sources of wastes generation. It is noted that solid wastes have a great effect on the quality of underground water as a result of percolation, infilteration, leachate and dis-integration of wastes material by the action of rainfall into the ground.