Assessing the Quality of Hand-Dug Wells in the Sunyani Municipality, Ghana

BackgroundHand-dug well water represents one of the main sources of drinking water for many settlements, especially people without access to treated potable water. However, water from such alternative sources can sometimes be polluted and not conducive for human consumption, due to the presence of pathogenic parasitic organisms. This study assessed the physico-chemical and microbial quality of hand-dug wells in the Sunyani Municipality in Ghana. MethodsThe study was cross-sectional in nature and results were laboratory-based analyses. The study used Global Positioning System (GPS) tracker to locate and sample hand-dug wells within the Sunyani Municipality. Fifteen (15) households with hand-dug wells were randomly selected from fifteen major communities within the Sunyani Municipality. One (1) sample was collected from each of the 15-household hand-dug wells for the study. ResultsPhysico-chemical analyses suggest that the temperature of water from all sources ranged between 25.8oC and 270C whiles phenolphthalein alkalinity of all water samples was 0. But the total alkalinity was between 28 to 116 mg/L. Relatively higher concentrations of nitrate were also observed in samples from all locations and most wells were exposed. However, all samples contained 18.2MPN Index/100ml of faecal coliform compared to 0.0MPN Index/100ml of acceptable national limits. ConclusionApart from most samples recording parameters exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) and Ghana Standards Authority recommended levels, majority of wells were exposed and sited around unhygienic environment. Hand-dug well water in the Sunyani Municipality is not completely safe for drinking purposes and requires periodic expert supervision and sample testing.