The interface between surface water and groundwater is becoming more complex owing to the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activities these days. In this study, the physicochemical; pH, color, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, and turbidity while bacteriological parameters; total and fecal coliform of water samples from River Gashua and its surrounding wells in Gashua local government area of Yobe State were assessed. All the physicochemical parameters were analyzed using water quality standards. Fecal and total coliforms were assayed using the filter membrane technique. The results obtained from the physicochemical parameters of Boreholes (BH1, BH2, and BH3) and hand pump wells (HPW1, HPW2, and HPW3) are within the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. However, the river (R) water sample was found to have a high concentration in total dissolved solids, turbidity, and color than permissible standards. Bacteriological analysis revealed the presence of total and fecal coliform in the water samples; R, BH2, BH3, HPW1, HPW2, and HPW3. The findings indicate that there is a need to protect the quality of the river system. Therefore, it is recommended that government and other stakeholders should take appropriate and corrective actions to avert the continuous discharge of waste products into the river. Again, Yobe State Ministry of Environment should ensure that all public boreholes are routinely subjected to appropriate water assays to ascertain their suitability for human consumption.

Rapid industrialization affects the environment in different ways through indiscriminate disposal of large amount of wastewater into the surrounding water bodies thereby causing serious problems to the environment. This study was conducted to assess the suitability of the ricemill wastewater being discharged into River Benue. Wastewater was sampled from point of discharge (sampling point A) and 20 meters away from the final entry into river Benue (sampling point B). Standardized methods were employed to analyze biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids (TDS), total heterotrophic count (THC), nitrate, phosphate, sulphate and pH in the sampled wastewater. Results were generated and compared with permissible standards Results generated from the analyses indicate that in sampling point A, pH ranged from 4.28 to 5.23, TDS ranged from 1478 - 1615 mg/L while THC ranged from1540 - 1600 cfu/ml. In point B, (BOD) ranged from 4.8 - 3.6 mg/L, (COD) ranged from 4.1 - 3.1mg/L, (TDS) 586 - 348mg/L, (THC) 608 - 512 cfu/ml and pH 7.32 - 6.43. Considering these results, (TDS), (THC), nitrate and THC were above permissible limits of World Health Organisation (WHO) and National Environmental standards and regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) respectively. Owing to these results, treatment measures and regulatory policies are suggested with a view to checkmating the abuse of river Benue through indiscriminate disposal of wastewater so as to avert imminent dangers it might likely pose to aquatic ecological system.