Evaluation of Physico-chemical water quality treatment efficiency: A Case study of Jambussi Water Headworks in the Upper West Region of Ghana

Abstract

Water is very important for the sustenance of life and has no substitute and therefore its quality cannot be compromised. This research is to examine the treatment efficiency and the physicochemical quality of drinking water from the Jambussi water headworks from the raw water source to the final consumer at the tap to establish the quality of the water being treated for drinking in the Wa West District and the Wa Municipality, Upper West Region of Ghana. Samples of water were taken from four stages of the treatment processes during the dry season (February-March) and at the onset of the rains in (May-June) 2019. 1.5L bottles properly rinsed, sterilized and labelled were used to take the samples at each point of the process. The samples were then stored in cold ice chest containing ice cubes and transported to the laboratory for analysis within 24 hours. The parameters considered were Temperature, pH, Total Hardness, Ca and Mg Hardness, Manganese, Alkalinity, Turbidity, Colour, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, NO₃^-, NO₂^-, Cl^-, F^-,Cu²⁺, K⁺, Al³⁺, SO₄² and S^-. The results showed that all the parameters analyzed including metals recorded were all below the WHO standards for drinking water at different stages of treatment to the final consumer. Some of the parameters were above the WHO standards at the raw water stage but fall within the standards after treatment. The efficiency of the system was observed to be very good and the quality of the water produced also meets the WHO standards for drinking and other purposes. The research was concluded with recommendations to improve and maintain the water quality for drinking including further research to examine the quality of water produced at other water treatment facilities across the country.