Pollution of the hydrogeologic system of Dire Dawa

Dire Dawa has remained the main fast growing city in Eastern Ethiopia. Its fast growth rate as an industrial and commercial center, lack of proper sewers and other waste disposal facilities, presence of about 20,000 open pit latrines, favorable geological, morphological, climatological and conditions have facilitated pollution of the hydrogeologic system. In this city there has been shortage of water and population increases at a higher rate. In 1965 population was only 23.33per cent of that of today’s but after only three decades, in 2030, it is predicted to grow by 3.73 times. Apart from the future danger of possible water shortage, the quality of ground water storage is questionable. The soft alluvium deposits, the main aquifers, has been polluted for the past ten decades by descending pollutants, which eventually reached the groundwater vertically and as far as Shinile town down stream. As a result there are excessive concentrations of nitrate, sulphate and chloride. The drop in water-table due to decrease in precipitation and over pumping is considerable.