Hydrogeological Assessment Project of the Northern Regions of Ghana
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VOLUME I Hydrogeological Assessment of the Northern Regions of Ghana FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT Hydrogeological Assessment Project of the Northern Regions of Ghana (HAP) CIDA Ref: 7038883 CEA Ref: 604138 INRS Ref: R1325 ISBN Ref: 978-2-89146-708-7 December 2011 HYDROGEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE FINAL REPORT NORTHERN REGIONS OF GHANA DECEMBER 2011 SUMMARY A thorough understanding of regional hydrogeology is the necessary basis for sustainable development of groundwater resources. This is particularly true for semi-arid areas such as northern Ghana where groundwater is currently the most feasible option and the main source for water supply in rural communities, while becoming increasingly so for urban areas. The construction of reliable wells satisfying community needs is however problematic in some areas where information is non-existent or not readily accessible and certain aspects of regional hydrogeology require further investigation. In this context, this study aims to improve groundwater resource management and development in northern Ghana through the inventory, collection and synthesis of existing hydrogeological information, as well as by targeted field work intended to complement this information. The work described in this report was carried out as part of the Hydrogeological Assessment Project (HAP) of the Northern Regions of Ghana supported by the Canadian International Development Agency. The study area covers approximately 97 704 km2 and roughly consists of the nothern half of Ghana, which is located between Togo to the east, Ivory Coast to the west and Burkina Faso to the north. It includes the three northern regions of Ghana: Upper West, Upper East and Northern regions. With a large part of the country below 300 m of elevation, Ghana is generally considered as lowland. The climate in northern Ghana is characterized by high annual temperatures (~ 28°C) and a relatively short (~ June to Oct.) but intense rainy season with an average annual rainfall around 990 mm. Vegetation, which is mainly controlled by climate, grades from moist tropical forest in the south-west of the study area to Sudan savannah in the north. The Volta River has the largest watershed in Ghana and its tributaries drain the entire study area. The simplified geology of northern Ghana can be summarized in two main geological contexts: Precambrian basement rocks (PCB) (41 % of the total study area) and Palaeozoic rocks from the Voltaian sedimentary basin (VSB) (59 %). These contexts also serve as a basis for the delineation of the main hydrogeological contexts. In both contexts, most consolidated rocks are overlain by a weathered layer (regolith) that is generally less than 30 m thick but that can be as thick as 140 m in the Wa district in the extreme northwest part of the study area. The inventory and collection of existing hydrogeological information that were carried out in northern Ghana notably allowed relevant publications and reports to be registered, electronically preserved and disseminated among stakeholders of the water sector. The main Geographical Information System (GIS) layers were obtained from various organizations within Ghana and from additional public sources. Hydrogeological data from 6 major stakeholder electronic databases were collected, validated and consolidated in one database to serve as a basis for future hydrogeological projects in northern Ghana. Targeted field work notably involved drilling and construction of 27 new monitoring wells that supplemented the existing Water Resources Commission monitoring well network. These wells were submitted to pumping tests and geophysical borehole logging. Groundwater level as well as groundwater quality monitoring of these wells was initiated in October 2007 and is still ongoing. Additional specific field work included rainfall, soil porewater and shallow groundwater sampling which allowed the evaluation of groundwater recharge through the chloride mass balance (CMB) method. As part of a regional geochemical characterization aimed at improving knowledge of groundwater dynamics and groundwater quality issues, groundwater from more than 100 monitoring and existing boreholes in northern Ghana was also sampled and analysed. The synthesis and analyses of the collected data and information allowed a better definition of the two main hydrogeological contexts, the VSB and the PCB. In the latter, the lower part of the saprolite is defined as a leaky aquifer but mainly acts as a reservoir of groundwater feeding the underlying permeable fractures, which provide most of the yield. The lower part of the saprolite can also provide significant amounts of water when weathering has enhanced hydraulic conductivity. In the VSB, the main aquifer is generally located in fractured rock as the regolith is often thinner and may not store significant amounts of water. This is supported by typical borehole characteristics, regional hydrostratigraphic cross sections and interpolated regolith 604138 i SNC-Lavalin/INRS FINAL REPORT HYDROGEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE DECEMBER 2011 NORTHERN REGIONS OF GHANA thickness that were derived from the consolidated database. Variations in surface topography and regolith thickness observed on cross sections indicate the potential for localized and isolated aquifers. General statistics on key hydrogeological parameters were summarized for both hydrogeological contexts. Potential drilling success rates were also estimated using data from existing reports. Representative drilling success rates, which vary by region, range from 32 % (Tolon Kumbugu) to 82 % (Bawku East) and are on average lower for the VSB than for the PCB. Hydrogeochemical characterization showed that groundwaters of the PCB display mixed- cations (Ca+Na+Mg) and bicarbonate (HCO3)-dominated water types. Their level of mineralization is generally moderate, indicating rock matrix-groundwater interactions of moderate extent and proportional residence and travel time in the geological formations. In contrast, groundwaters of the VSB are generally sodic (Na-dominated) in nature. HCO3 is also the most commonly found ion, although some groundwaters exhibit a rather Cl-dominated water type. Such water types are indicative of more advanced evolution stages and longer residence and travel time for groundwater in the VSB formations, which is supported by the longer 14C apparent ages of these more evolved water types. Heavier mineralization of groundwater occurs in phase with higher total dissolved solids contents. Comparison of groundwater geochemical data with guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water shows that groundwater in the Northern Regions of Ghana is generally of good quality. In the VSB, certain groundwater quality issues arise in wells located in the geological formations of the Oti-Pendjari group, in which WHO guidelines exceedances are often recorded for arsenic, fluoride, lead, chloride and nitrates. High fluoride concentration are also observed in intrusive rocks and metamorphized Precambrian basement formations, notably in the Bongo- Bolgatanga area. Groundwater in the Obosum group may display mediocre quality with regard to iron, lead and chloride. While groundwater quality is primarly controlled by the geology and mineralogy of formations through which it flows, pumping equipments or metal casings utilized for well installation may however be responsible for elevated iron and manganese recorded at certain wells. Additionally, nitrates and nitrites contamination, which is stricly point-specific in the project area, could originate from human and agricultural activities taking place at the surface. Groundwater recharge was initially evaluated using two methods, the soil moisture balance (SMB), based on climate data, and the unsaturated zone chloride mass balance (CMB), based on analyses of porewater extracted from soil samples collected under HAP. Estimated recharge rates for these methods range from 1.8 to 15.9 % (19-205 mm) of average annual rainfall for the SMB and 1.1 to 7.8 % (12-80 mm) of average annual rainfall for the unsaturated zone CMB. Since previous work suggests that localized recharge represents a major portion of the overall recharge, the saturated zone CMB was also implemented to better assess the overall recharge processes and magnitude. Resulting recharge estimates derived from shallow groundwater samples collected in hand-dug wells range from 0.5 to 36.5 % (5-389 mm) of average annual rainfall. Estimated groundwater production would represent a relatively small proportion of the estimated recharge, between 0.1 % and 1.3 % of average annual recharge from SMB estimates. Groundwater could thus provide a greater supply of potable water in northern Ghana, either for rural communities or small towns. Although current groundwater production in Ghana is considered to have a minor effect on the regional water balance, efforts should be maintained and increased towards ensuring the sustainable management of groundwater resources since an increase in groundwater production is thought to be imminent. While this project has provided a basis for such an approach by synthesizing available hydrogeological data and consolidating existing databases, additional work is still required to improve knowledge and understanding of northern Ghana hydrogeology. As new hydrological and hydrogeological data becomes available and the GIS- based database instituted within the Water Resources Commission (WRC) is updated, some of the analyses carried out in this project should be revisited