Benue State has one of the most populated state capitals in North-central Nigeria, suffering from acute water shortage despite River Benue that runs through the town. The combined effect of inadequate potable water supply and the polluted nature of the River has pushed the populace, especially peri-urban residents, to resort to water from wells and boreholes. This study investigates the possible contamination by lead, and some waterborne pathogenic bacterial burden of water from wells and boreholes. Four peri-urban areas of Makurdi, Nigeria, were selected for the study. A total of 768 samples were randomly collected, 192 from each location.The presence of lead was quantified using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, while the bacteriological assessment was done using Multiple Tube Fermentation Techniques and biochemical tests. The mean value for lead at the different sampling sites ranged from 0.030 to 0.079mg/L. The mean value of lead in all the wells and locations was significantly (P
Key words: keywords Lead, Ground water, Enteric bacteria, Contaminations.
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