Quality of Groundwater in the Kwahu West District of Ghana

Abstract

The quality of ground water in the Kwahu West District of Ghana was determined by the use of physicochemical parameters together with trace metal contamination as indices of quality. Standard methods for physicochemical determinations were employed. Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer was also used for the measurement of nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) and iron (Fe). Nitrate, Chloride, Alkalinity and Phosphate were also determined photometrically. Results were compared with global averages for freshwater and international water quality standards for drinking water, World Heath Organisation, (WHO). Evaluation of physicochemical parameters revealed that the water samples were within the maximum permissible limits for consumption. All elements except iron, lead and nickel, were well within the safety limits recommended by WHO. The low level of industrialization in the study area has kept the water relatively free from heavy metal contamination.