Marfo J N, Quaye-Ballard J A, Kwakye S O, Obeng K, Arko-Adjei A, Quaye-Ballard N L, Quao R N A
Geomatic Engineering Department, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana.
Department of Environmental Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana.
Heliyon. 2024 Mar 19;10(6):e27545. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27545. eCollection 2024 Mar 30.
The ecosystem and economy's reliance on clean water is influenced by various factors such as geology, topography, soil types, activities, and the presence of plants and animals. The Ghana Water Company is encountering difficulties in delivering water to consumers in the Ashanti Region due to the shortage of surface water resources, leading to water rationing in the area. Furthermore, poor waste disposal practices, illegal mining, use of fertilizers, and industrial activities have resulted in surface and groundwater source damage. Therefore, there is a need to implement a reliable, simple, and timely method to assess groundwater quality. This study aims to employ GIS and RS techniques to evaluate groundwater quality and potential in the Ashanti Region, Ghana. The Water Quality Index (WQI) was estimated using pH, Total Dissolve Solid (TDS), Chloride, Total Hardness (TH), Nitrate, Temperature, Turbidity, Iron, and Electrical Conductivity (EC). The study then used the WQI distribution to conduct a groundwater potential analysis to identify suitable areas for borehole placement. Digital thematic layers and maps were developed to expose the spatial distribution of water quality parameters, enabling the identification of groundwater pollution control and remedial measures. The study estimated the region's groundwater potential using an integrated GIS and Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) technique, grouping under excellent, good, fair, and poor potential. The WQI in the Ashanti Region ranged from 5.208 to 134.232, with 32.252% of the study area having an excellent WQI and 60.168% of the study area having a good WQI. Poor water quality covered 7.550% of the study area. The results showed that the GIS-based AHP approach accurately mapped the spatial distribution of WQI and Groundwater Potential Zones (GWPZ). This information is helpful to planners in water resource management in groundwater exploration and future planning. Policymakers and stakeholders must ensure that groundwater sources are protected from pollution.
生态系统和经济对清洁水的依赖受到多种因素的影响，如地质、地形、土壤类型、活动以及动植物的存在。由于地表水资源短缺，加纳水务公司在向阿散蒂地区的消费者供水时遇到困难，导致该地区实行配水。此外，不良的废物处理方式、非法采矿、化肥使用和工业活动导致了地表水和地下水源的破坏。因此，需要实施一种可靠、简单且及时的方法来评估地下水质量。本研究旨在运用地理信息系统（GIS）和遥感（RS）技术评估加纳阿散蒂地区的地下水质量和潜力。水质指数（WQI）通过pH值、总溶解固体（TDS）、氯化物、总硬度（TH）、硝酸盐、温度、浊度、铁和电导率（EC）进行估算。然后，该研究利用WQI分布进行地下水潜力分析，以确定适合钻孔的区域。开发了数字专题图层和地图，以揭示水质参数的空间分布，从而确定地下水污染控制和补救措施。该研究运用综合GIS和层次分析法（AHP）技术估算了该地区的地下水潜力，分为极佳、良好、一般和较差潜力等级。阿散蒂地区的WQI范围为5.208至134.232，研究区域中32.252%的地区WQI极佳，60.168%的地区WQI良好。水质较差的区域占研究区域的7.550%。结果表明，基于GIS的AHP方法准确地绘制了WQI和地下水潜力区（GWPZ）的空间分布。这些信息有助于水资源管理规划者进行地下水勘探和未来规划。政策制定者和利益相关者必须确保地下水源免受污染。
