TITLE:
Seasonal Effect of Weather Elements on Water Table Fluctuation in Potable Wells in Kono District, Eastern Sierra Leone
AUTHORS:
Richard Tamba Simbo, Alhaji Brima Gogra, Yahaya Kudus Kawa, Paul Juana Moiwo
KEYWORDS:
Groundwater, Water Table, Relative Humidity, Precipitation, Temperature
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.13 No.11,
November
30,
2023
ABSTRACT: The study investigated
the seasonal effects of weather elements on water table fluctuations in
drinking wells in Nimikoro and Tankoro Chiefdoms in Kono District, Eastern
Sierra Leone. The study specifically determined the trends in precipitation,
air temperature and relative humidity relative to water table depth and water
volume in both manually dug and mechanically drilled water wells in the
chiefdoms. The key objective was to provide a clear guide on sustainable well
development and operation in the study area and beyond. To do so, the depth of
each well was taken and the water table measured. Also, data on key weather
elements such as precipitation, air temperature and relative humidity were
collected on the 15th of every month for a period of one year. The
data were analyzed on Excel, SPSS and ArcGIS platforms for monthly and seasonal
trends in the time-space fabric. The results showed that the depth to water
table was high in the dries (small well water volume) and low in the rains
(large well water volume) for both manually dug and mechanically drilled wells.
Well water temperature increased as temperature increased during the dry season
but decreased as temperature decreased during the rainy season. The study
showed that weather elements such as precipitation and temperature had direct
impact on groundwater availability. This is critical for groundwater
development and management in the study area and in Sierra Leone at large.