Mapping of Ground Water Vulnerability for Landfill Site Selection Assessment at the District Level - Case Study at the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality of Ghana
Abstract
Municipal solid waste disposal by landfilling (mostly open dumping) is common in Ghana and other developing countries. These landfill sites are mostly chosen without due consideration for the tendency of ground water pollution. This paper discusses and demonstrates the need for accounting for groundwater protection using pollution potential vulnerability modelling and mapping in the selection of landfill sites. The Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Area (TNMA) of Ghana is selected as a case study area. A groundwater vulnerability model has been developed by incorporating the major geological and hydrogeological factors that control the movement and contamination of groundwater, using an overlay and indexed-based DRASTIC method with GIS. These factors were rated, weighted and overlaid to create a vulnerability model showing areas prone to groundwater contamination. Based on the groundwater vulnerability model, landfill sites situated in the northern part of TNMA, within the Tarkwaian system would have high to very high potential of contaminating the groundwater. However, landfill sites situated at the southern part of TNMA, within the Birimian system, would have low potential of contaminating the aquifers. It is recommended that this approach be integrated into landfill site selection analysis to help reduce the risk of groundwater pollution in the disposal of waste.
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