Abstract

Urban waste management is one of the critical environmental challenges in rapidly urbanizing African cities. Exposure of untreated waste into the external environment poses severe environmental and human health risks. Employing data from ground and surface water sampled from the Sunyani municipal dumpsite, this study sought to assess the influence of the Sunyani Municipal waste dumpsite on surface and groundwater quality. The study specifically evaluated the effect of dumpsites on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of ground and surface water. The study revealed a statistically significant water quality difference across all sample sites. Apart from pH, TDS, turbidity, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen which recorded concentrations within the acceptable standards of the WHO, all other parameters (NO_3, BOD, total coliform, faecal coliform, copper, zinc, iron, and lead) examined in the groundwater samples recorded concentration levels above the World Health Organisation permissible limit. Similarly, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, zinc, iron, lead, BOD, total coliforms, and faecal coliform levels in surface water samples were generally high in the midstream and downstream portions compared to the upstream and WHO guidelines. Consequently, water resources around the dumpsite pose significant public health and environmental threats. The study, therefore, recommends the segregation, proper management, and treatment of toxic waste before discharge into the external environment.

Keywords: Dumpsite, Water Quality, Contaminants, Leachates, Sunyani municipal, Pollution