Assessment of Water Quality in Community Storage Tanks in Accra

Abstract

Background: Access to safe drinking water remains a major challenge in Accra, where community water storage tanks, often known as poly-tanks, fail to meet safety standards due to inadequate care and sanitation. Contamination of water at the source before discharge into these community water storage tanks and storage conditions could serve as a major source of water-related disease transmission, such as rotavirus, cholera, and campylobacteria among community members. Objective: This study aimed to assess the microbiological and physicochemical quality of water stored in community storage tanks in selected communities in Accra. Methods: This study was designed to assess the microbiological and physicochemical quality of water stored in community tanks across three urban communities in Accra. A cross-sectional analytical design was employed to capture a snapshot of water safety at the time of sampling. Water samples were systematically collected from tanks in Korle Gono, Laterbiokoshie, and Zebra Line, areas that rely heavily on stored water due to intermittent municipal supply. Microbiological indicators, including total coliforms, faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, total heterotrophic bacteria, and Pseudomonas spp., were analysed. Physicochemical parameters such as pH, turbidity, conductivity, and total dissolved solids were measured. Together, these analyses provided an integrated assessment of stored water quality and highlighted potential health risks for the communities dependent on these tanks. Results: Microbiological analysis revealed significant contamination levels as follows: total coliforms (mean: 3.51 × 10⁴ CFU/100 mL), faecal coliforms (mean: 1.95 × 10⁴ CFU/100 mL), and E. coli (mean: 1.68 × 10⁴ CFU/100 mL), all exceeding WHO's acceptable limits (0 CFU/100 mL). Physicochemical findings showed a mean pH within acceptable limits (6.84), though turbidity (7.80 NTU) and total dissolved solids (830.52 mg/L) exceeded WHO standards in some cases. Water Quality Index (WQI) evaluations classified 60% of the samples as "Good," while 32% were deemed "Poor." Conclusion: The findings underscore critical public health risks associated with consuming stored water from community tanks in Accra. Recommendations include routine tank cleaning, improved regulatory oversight, community education, and infrastructure upgrades to safeguard water quality. Limitation: The study was limited by its cross-sectional design, which captured only a single point in time. Seasonal variations in water quality were not accounted for, restricting generalizability. In addition, infrastructure conditions of tanks were not fully examined, which may have influenced contamination levels.