Correlation Analysis of Groundwater Colouration from Mountainous Areas, Ghana

Abstract

Access to potable water is important for human development but inhabitants of mountainous areas face challenges of water supply due to inadequacy of the available surface water. Groundwater thus becomes the other alternative. The research was done on the groundwater quality with respect to colouration in five boreholes in some second cycle schools located in mountainous areas of the Akuapim North district. Four samples each were taken from the five boreholes for laboratory analysis. Colour, iron, manganese and some physical parameters were analysed and the results were compared with the World Health Organisation guidelines and the Ghana Urban Water Limited standard for drinking water. The results showed that conductivity and turbidity were all within the acceptable standards for drinking water. Colour strongly correlated positively with iron (r = 0.869), turbidity (r = 0.858), conductivity (r = 0.727) and manganese (r = 0.681), but pH (r = -0.715) strongly correlated negatively. Even though iron and manganese have no known health effects, they were associated with the colouration of the groundwater causing aesthetic problems for the users of the boreholes. Construction of a simple filter bed with aeration facility is critical to remove iron and manganese from the water to make it potable to the consumers.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.erem.67.1.4545