EVALUATION OF THE CHEMICAL TREATMENT DRAWBACKS FOR GUBI DAM WATER TREATMENT AND SUSTAINABLE COAGULATION USING MORINGA (MORINGA OLIFEIRA)

This study evaluated the limitations of chemical coagulants and assessed the potential of Moringa oleifera seeds as sustainable alternatives for water treatment in Gubi Dam, Bauchi State, Nigeria. The aim was to investigate the efficiency of alum and Moringa seed extracts in improving water quality. The objectives were to identify the drawbacks of alum treatment, assess the coagulative efficiency of Moringa seed extracts, evaluate untreated Moringa seeds, and compare the two approaches for sustainability. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed, using raw water samples from Gubi Dam. Treatments included alum at 50 mg/L and Moringa extracts at varying dosages (25–100 mg/L). Standard jar tests were applied, and parameters such as turbidity, color, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), microbial load, and heavy metals were analyzed. Results indicated that alum reduced water color significantly from 206 to 20 but lowered pH from 7.29 to 5.20 and raised TDS and EC considerably. Moringa seed extract reduced color to 20 at 30 mg/L while maintaining pH stability (7.22–7.90). However, TDS and EC increased due to organic inputs. Untreated seeds achieved moderate color reduction but caused turbidity increases at higher doses. Overall, Moringa extracts provided better sustainability compared to alum. It was concluded that alum is effective but unsustainable due to chemical imbalances, while Moringa offers an environmentally friendly, locally available alternative. It’s recommended to include optimizing Moringa dosage, integrating it into treatment processes, and promoting community-based adoption supported by policy frameworks.