AN ASSESSMENT OF DRINKING WATER QUALITY IN PRIVATE HOSTELS AROUND UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA/UNA EVALUACION DE LA CALIDAD DEL AGUA POTABLE EN LOS ALBERGUES PRIVADOS DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DE BENIN, CIUDAD DE BENIN, ESTADO DE EDO, NIGERIA/AVALIACAO DA QUALIDADE DA AGUA PORTAVEL EM ALBERGUES PRIVADOS DA UNIVERISIDADE DE BENIN, CIDADE DE BENIN, NIGERIA

Livability and comfortability in private hostels in Nigeria to a large extent depend on the quantity and pollution-free water for students' utilization. A shortfall in quantity and quality of water in the university community and surrounding hostels normally exposes students to various degrees of water stress and other vulnerabilities with serious implications on personal sanitation and hygiene. This paper evaluates drinking water pollution in three private hostels around the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Field-based and laboratory analysis was deployed to investigate the concentration of 18 water pollutants namely: carbon dioxide, chloride, alkaline, conductivity, pH, hardness, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, total solids, manganese, calcium, zinc, copper, potassium, cadmium, iron, total aerobic count and coliform. Unacceptable levels of water pollution and quality indicators particularly in copper, cadmium, iron, and coliform were found across the sampled private hostels while other parameters met the World Health Organization limit making the water relatively suitable for consumption. Besides, there was no spatial variation of water pollution indicators across the sampled private hostels. The need to sustain the concentration of these indicators cannot be over-emphasized to avert water-related diseases that are harmful to the health of man. The paper recommends that students residing at private hostels should cultivate the habits of treating water before consumption using the commonest methods of boiling and filtration to guarantee their health security and wellbeing. Keywords: Water; Pollution; Quality; Indicators; Private Hostels; UNIBEN La habitabilidad y la comodidad en los albergues privados de Nigeria dependen en gran medida de la cantidad y la calidad del agua libre de contaminacion que utilicen los estudiantes. La escasez de agua en cantidad y calidad en la comunidad universitaria y los albergues circundantes normalmente expone a los estudiantes a diversos grados de estres hidrico y otras vulnerabilidades con graves consecuencias para el saneamiento y la higiene personal. En el presente documento se evalua la contaminacion del agua potable en tres albergues privados situados en los alrededores de la Universidad de Benin, en la ciudad de Benin, Estado de Edo (Nigeria). Se desplegaron analisis de campo y de laboratorio para investigar la concentracion de 18 contaminantes del agua, a saber: dioxido de carbono,