Determination of Aquifer Characteristics in Okija, Anambra State, Nigeria

Knowledge of hydraulic properties of groundwater aids economic and environmentally friendly exploitation of water resources in water-scare rural area such as Okija. In this study therefore, the aquifer constants are evaluated for Okija town in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria to facilitate efficient and effective exploitation of the water resources in the area. The drawdown test involved pumping down the water level and monitoring the response of hydraulic head in the surrounding aquifer. The computation of formation constants is performed in three ways: Theis method, Cooper-Jacob method and Chow method. Model Selection Criterion (MSC was used to evaluate the discharge predictions from the three methods. The results show that transmissivity and storage coefficient for Theis method are 256. 37 m2/day and 146.67 m2/day; Cooper-Jacob method are 251.71 m2/day and 131 m2/day, and chow method are 2 67.87 m2/day and 146.67 m2/day respectively. This work represents a practical and novel approach to the determination of a key hydrogeological parameter for a highly transmissive aquifer. Keywords—.Aquifer constants, Theis method, Cooper-Jacob method, Chow method, Okija