Groundwater quality assessment in the Central Region of Ghana

Year 2025, Volume: 20 Issue: 1, 19 - 37

Vıctor Oforı Agyemang

Abstract

In the Central Region of Ghana, a study that applied two water quality indicators and a risk index to groundwater was successfully completed. The Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index, the Water Quality Index, and the Water Quality Risk Index for Human Consumption were all employed in the study. In the research area, there are five different forms of groundwater: CaMgSO4, NaCl, CaMgHCO3, and Mixed water. Rock weathering is the primary process regulating the chemical of the groundwater. Evaporation, ion exchange, and the effects of anthropogenic activities are other processes that may regulate the geochemistry. According to the WQI, 34% of the groundwater samples are of bad quality, 34% are of acceptable quality, 6% are of excellent quality, 3% are of very poor quality, and 5% are unfit for drinking. According to the WAQWI, 71% of groundwater are of outstanding quality, followed by 19% of acceptable quality, 4% of bad quality, and 6% of unsuitable quality. IRCA calculations showed that 2% of the samples included water that posed no risk to human health, 20% contained water that was low risk, 2% contained water that was medium risk, 75% contained water that was high risk, and 1% contained water that was unfit for human consumption. The IRCA indicates that there is a generally high level of health risk associated with using the groundwater for drinking without prior treatment, despite the fact that the two indices indicate that the groundwater is generally good for that purpose.

Keywords

Groundwater, Water Quality Index, Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index, Water Quality Risk Index for Human Consumption, Central Region, Ghana, World Health Organization

Ethical Statement

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Thanks

The author is appreciative to the Management of the CWSA, Cape Coast for making data for this study available.

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