Assessment of the Impact of Solid Waste Disposal on the Portability of Surface Water and Groundwater Using Water Quality Index (WQI) in Kpassa, Nkwanta North District of Ghana

Abstract

The emergence of the Water Quality Index (WQI) has helped to convey vital water quality information to stakeholders and the general public at certain locations and times based on water quality parameters. The present study was carried out to assess how improper solid waste disposal impacts on the potability of surface and ground water at Kpassa in the Nkwanta North District of the Volta Region in Ghana. Water samples were collected at different locations on the River Kpassa and from boreholes within Kpassa in the Nkwanta North District of Ghana. The quality of the water was assessed by testing various physicochemical parameters such as pH, EC, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Total Hardness (TH), Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate, Sulphate, Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). Apart from turbidity that was observed to be high in the samples during the period of study (indicating the presence of organic matter pollution, domestic effluents and runoffs from agricultural fields), all the other water quality parameters in both surface and groundwater were lower compared to WHO/ICMR/BIS standards.  The WQI for the surface water and the borehole water were 56.50 and 94.82 respectively. The study shows that the samples within the study area had poor water quality and therefore unsuitable for drinking and for domestic use. Regular water monitoring should be carried out especially with reference to the microbial analysis to give a better view of the water quality at Kpassa.

Keywords: Kpassa, Index, pollution, agriculture fields, Leachate