This study evaluated the hydrogeochemical attributes and quality of groundwater resources in Ngbo, Ohaukwu Area Council of Ebonyi State, Nigeria in order to determine whether boreholes in the area were suitable for potable uses. Eleven groundwater samples were collected from hand-dug boreholes between February and March, 2013. The physiochemical parameters of the samples were then analyzed to determine electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total alkalinity, major cations and anions, and trace metals. The quality of these characteristics was evaluated by comparing them to the Nigerian Institute of Standards, the Bureau of Indian Standards and the World Health Organization standards for drinking water quality. Mass abundance of the major ions was in the order of Mg 2+ > Ca 2+ for cations, Cl-> SO 4 2-> NO 3-> PO 4 3for anions and Fe > As > Mn > Cu > Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cd for trace metals. Correlation analysis revealed both positive and negative correlations among the parameters. Also, one-way ANOVA tests revealed that no significant differences existed between physiochemical parameters (F = 1.004 < Fcrit =1.977), major cations and anions (F =0.547 < Fcrit =2.008) and trace metals (F = 0.772 < Fcrit = 1.940) regardless of the sampling location. Groundwater in the area was generally hard, alkaline and highly mineralized, making it unsuitable for drinking in some places due to high total hardness and TDS; but it was generally suitable for irrigation purposes. It is recommended that boreholes be flushed regularly to aid in the removal of mineralized deposits, and that regular hydrogeochemical studies be conducted in order to detect future deterioration of water quality.

Groundwater quality in study areas was evaluated by measuring the physicochemical parametersincluding selected ions in water samples collected from 12 boreholes in Akaeze, Okposi and Uburu townsof Ebonyi State, Nigeria in April, 2013 and analysed using standard methods. Results obtained showedthat, except for As5+ content, all other parameters investigated fall within WHO standards for potable water.Regression analysis showed that conductivity, SO4 2- and As5+ levels are important variables in predictingthe TDS values of the samples while NO3-, Cl-, PO4 3- and TDS are important in predicting the As5+ contentof the water samples. One-way ANOVA at P < 0.05 showed Fcal (1.862) > Ftab (0.619), implying a significantdifference between the parameters for all locations.