Unregulated Hand Dug Wells and Their Quality Threat: A Case Study in Cape Coast Metropolis

In Ghana, using hand-dug wells whose quality has not been scientifically assessed is a common practice. All the hand-dug wells in Abura and its environs where this study took place have not been scientifically assessed; however, they are being used for domestic activities including drinking. In all, 128 water samples were collected from 20 hand-dug wells in the Abura community. Sixteen physical, chemical, and microbial parameters namely pH, turbidity, total suspended solids, conductivity, total dissolved solids, color total hardness, alkalinity, magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, potassium, fluoride, phosphate, and E. coli were assessed in this study. Microbially, all the wells were found to be unsafe for drinking. The parameters total hardness, manganese, fluoride, and, phosphate were found to be within the permissible threshold for all the wells. In all the wells, the total dissolved solids (TDS) measured were above the threshold. Eleven out of the 20 wells recorded pH outside the permissible threshold. Eight of the wells recorded color above the permissible threshold. The wells A, D, E, F, G, H, and D, G, I, J, N, O recorded alkalinity and iron concentration outside the permissible threshold. Apart from wells N and O, all the remaining 18 wells recorded turbidity within the permissible threshold. Only wells D, H, and N recorded potassium concentrations within the threshold. The water quality index computations classify the wells E, K, M, P, R, and S as excellent; A, B, C, F, H, L, Q, and T as good; J and O as poor and very poor; and N, I, G, and D as undesirable for drinking. Of all the parameters analyzed, only TDS polluted all the wells. All the wells were polluted with one type of parameter or another which calls for some level of treatment before use.