Quality of Raw Water from Ghana’s Reservoirs: A Case of Weija Reservoir

Abstract

The increase in population within the Densu River Basin (DRB) from 450,000 in 1984 to 947,000 in 2000 shows an average yearly growth rate of 3.26%. This therefore has resulted in the increase of anthropogenic activities which have caused contamination with regard to the quality of raw water from the Weija reservoir. Using descriptive study design, the study aimed at analyzing the trends in water quality parameters and also finding some of the existing relationships between these parameters over a 14-year period.  The study used sixteen (16) water quality parameters and it was revealed that most of the water quality parameters’ recordings fell within the WHO guidelines during the 14-year period. Water from the Weija Lake can be termed to have been of high quality putting into consideration phosphorus, nitrate, ammonia, magnesium, calcium, total hardness, fluoride, iron and sulphate since they fell within WHO guidelines: this effect gives a signal of resource sustainability by the population within the catchment. On the other hand, the water can be termed to have been of less quality over the 14 years by considering parameters such as turbidity, colour, pH, temperature, suspended solids and total solids since their recordings were often above WHO guidelines. In view of this, it is recommended that stakeholders of DRB such as the Densu River Authority (DRA), the Ghana Water Commission (GWC), the Weija Head Works (WHW) and the District Assemblies should ensure that sustainability of quality of water from the Weija reservoir is achieved through clean integration of social, environmental and economic developments as emphasized in the definition of sustainability given by the Bruntland commission.

Keywords: Raw water, Quality, Reservoirs, weija

DOI: 10.7176/JEES/10-5-01

Publication date:May 31^st 2020