The Quality of Water Consumed in the Wassa Amenfi West District- A Case Study of Asankragwa Township

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Date
2012-10-19
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Abstract
The quality of pipe borne drinking water in the Asankragwa township, with reference to their physicochemical and microbiological parameters were studied (total coliforms, feacal coliforms, E. coli, pH, electrical conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids, Total Suspended Solids, Iron, sulphate, and among others). These were compared to acceptable levels such as the World Health Organisation’s Guidelines on Drinking Water Quality. A total of 10 sampling points were determined and studied over a period of three months (March to May, 2012) with samples collected for analysis once every month. These samples comprised water from four (4) stand pipe points, the two (2) main sources where pipe borne water is obtained in the Asankragwa township, water from the tank where water is stored before treatment (1), water after treatment (1), and water from 2 wells for comparative analysis. The results of the study revealed high microbial indicator counts in all the water bodies at levels above the World Health Organisation’s Guidelines on Drinking Water Quality, thus suggesting bacterial pollution of the waters. The microbiological quality assessment of the water samples revealed that water samples from all the sampling points contained total coliforms with some containing E. coli and feacal coliforms, indicating contamination of the water by organisms of feacal origin. The result also showed that all the investigated physicochemical parameters of water samples from the sampling points were within the minimum permissible limits for drinking water as suggested by WHO except colour (60.33-850.00), turbidity(3.39-6.00 NTU) and the pH of the water collected from the wells (5.7600-5.9300). Analysis of samples for dissolved trace metals indicated that levels of the investigated metals were within WHO permissible limits except for iron (0.1500 – 3.800mg/l). Pipe borne drinking water from the Asankragwa township was therefore found to be unsuitable for drinking and for other domestic purposes. Comparatively, water from pipe borne server water was better than that from the wells in the Asankragwa township.
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A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Master Of Science Degree in Environmental Science.
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