The high cost of treated water makes most people in the rural communities to resort to water sources which are normally of low quality and which expose them to waterborne diseases. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of Cucurbita pepo seed powders for the removal of turbidity in river water using Alum as a standard. Water samples were collected from Gara River, Madobi local government area, Kano State Nigeria. Various concentrations of Alum and C. pepo seeds powders were prepared; 100, 200, 300 and 400 ppm. pH, turbidity, Total Dissolve Solids, electrical conductivity, Total Suspended Solids and temperature of the samples were analyzed before and after treatment. Significant reductions (p<0.05) in turbidity and pH were observed at various concentrations of Alum and C. pepo seed powders. Temperature and TSS were reduced (p<0.05) following treatments with different dosages of Alum. Moreover, C. pepo seed powders were observed to decrease TDS while Alum was observed to increase TDS. This study indicates that C. pepo seed powders might be provide an alternative turbidity reduction capacity in river water due to its availability and low cost.
