Assessing the impact of Kiteezi landfill on the ground water resources of the neighboring communities.

Abstract

Most of the rubbish generated in Kampala city is collected and dumped in Kiteezi landfill. The landfill has therefore been a viable solution to the waste problem in Kampala. It however poses a significant threat to the ground water sources of the communities in its vicinity. Groundwater resources are an alternative source of water for these communities hence monitoring and conserving them is crucial. In this study, the state of groundwater was determined through the integration of ground water potential and water quality index data. To obtain the ground water potential zones, satellite imagery and digital elevation data were used to generate thematic maps of land use, slope, drainage density and lineament density. These were reclassified, weighted and overlaid to delineate the ground water potential zones for the years 1999, 2009 and 2019. Water samples were then collected and tested for sulphates, nitrates, pH, electric conductivity, temperature, chlorides and flourides. Individual spatial distributions were generated and the water quality index computed for each water source. The overall view of the water quality index was revealed to be less tha 55 hence fit for human consumption. From the weighted overlay of the ground water potential of 2019 with the water quality data, the current state of ground water was determined. The area closest west of the landfill were found to be highly contaminated.