Design of a Low-Cost Embedded System for Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring in Borehole Water Sources in Benue State

Borehole water contamination in Benue State, North Central Nigeria, poses serious health risks to communities that depend on groundwater as their primary drinking source, yet real-time quality monitoring systems are prohibitively expensive for most local government authorities. This project designed a low-cost embedded system for real-time monitoring of four critical water quality parameters: pH, turbidity, electrical conductivity (total dissolved solids), and temperature. Calibrated analog sensors were interfaced with an Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller. Measurements were taken at 5-minute intervals and displayed on a 20x4 LCD module. A GSM module transmitted daily summary SMS reports to the local government water board. A buzzer alarm activated when any parameter exceeded WHO drinking water standards. The system was calibrated against standard buffer solutions and conductivity standards. pH measurement accuracy was within plus or minus 0.15 pH units. Turbidity resolution was 0.5 NTU. Conductivity error was below 3 percent of reference values. Temperature accuracy was within 0.5 degrees Celsius. The system was installed and operated for 14 days at a community borehole in Makurdi LGA. Three turbidity spike events and one pH deviation event were correctly detected and reported. Total component cost was 27,800 naira. Power was supplied from a 20W solar panel with battery backup providing 72 hours of autonomous operation. The study recommends adding a data logger shield for long-term trend analysis and incorporating heavy metal ion detection sensors in a future iteration.

Keywords: water quality monitoring, borehole, embedded system, Benue State, North Central Nigeria