The effect of anthropogenic activities on the water quality of Nonve River, Wakiso District, Central Uganda

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the effect of anthropogenic activities on the water quality of Nonve River in Kakiri town council, wakiso district-central Uganda. This research involved a combination of descriptive and survey designs since both apply collection of data to explain current status of the subjects of study. Data on water quality parameters was collected by both laboratory analysis and in-situ measurement. Temperature, pH and EC data was collected through insitu measurement using HANNA portable meters. Data of BOD was collected via laboratory analysis that followed standard methods for examination of water and wastewater in APHA, 1999. Data on human activities was also collected by administration of semi-structured questionnaires to 150 sampled persons. The study revealed that majority of the respondents (64%) were male, between age of 36-45 years (37.33%), married (70%), between 4-7 people in the house hold and had attained at least primary education (64.67%) while the lowest percentage were females (36%), below age 25 years (5.33%), divorced (5.33%), between 8-10 people in the house hold (6%) and had attained tertiary education (8.67%) (Table 1). The highest number of respondents used the river Nonve water for domestic purposes (56), reared chicken (42), grow eucalyptus trees as a major plant (34). All the water parameters increased as the human activity increased from zero to high. At sampling points with none and low human activity, the BOD, color and temperature were within the acceptable permissible NEMA standard limits. While at sampling point with high human activity, all the water quality parameters were above the acceptable permissible NEMA standard limits. Majority of the macroinvertebrates observed were found at sampling point with no human activity while the least number was found at sampling point with high human activity. From the present study, it can be concluded that majority of the respondents around River Nonve practice agriculture and its physical chemical parameters increase as human activity increased as well as the occurrence of macroinvertebrates is limited to points of the river with none to moderate human activity.