Water quality assessment of hand-dug wells in Janga, Ghana

Abstract

Access to good quality drinking water is a challenge to the people of Janga who depend on hand-dug wells water for years as the main source of drinking water. This study examined water quality of hand-dug wells in Janga in the West Mamprusi District. A total of ten water samples from five hand-dug wells were collected and analysed for physico-chemical and coliform bacteria quality using standard methods. Generally, the physico-chemical parameters varied, but all were within the World Health Organisation standards for portability except turbidity. The study recorded coliform bacteria count that ranged from 0 to 211 cfu/100 ml (total coliform); 0 to 482 cfu/100 ml (faecal coliform); and 0 to 90 cfu/100 ml (Escherichia coli). These exceeded WHO guideline values (0/100 ml) for drinking water indicating that the hand-dug wells are not free from pollution. Coliform bacteria count indicates poor sanitary conditions in Janga, arising from poor handling of domestic wastes, especially garbage and sewage implying water from hand-dug wells is not suitable for direct human consumption. It is therefore recommended that hand-dug wells water should be treated against bacteria before usage in order to meet the millennium development goal 7.

Keywords: Coliform bacteria, hand-dug wells, water quality, Ghana