Assessment of groundwater quality in Afigya Kwabre District, Ghana

One hundred and twenty (120) groundwater samples were taken from forty (40) boreholes from Afigya Kwabre District of Ghana to study the hydrochemical and bacteriological characteristics to know the current state of the groundwater quality, the natural processes and anthropogenic activities that affect the groundwater quality as well as the suitability of the groundwater for drinking, domestic and agricultural purposes. The study revealed that the groundwater types in the study area are Na-Cl, Mixed and Na-HCO3. The study also identified silicate weathering, carbonate weathering, mixing processes, ion exchange and anthropogenic activities such as improper waste disposal and application of agrochemicals to influence the groundwater quality in the study area. The calculation of the water quality index for the groundwater showed that 87.5% are suitable for drinking purposes while 12.5% are unsuitable. Low pH, bacterial contamination, high Fe, F- and Pb are the quality concerns observed in the groundwater in the area. For irrigation use, the groundwater is excellent except for a high sodium percent of over 60 % in some samples (52.5%) and magnesium hazard (70%).