Kwahu plateau-induced water scarcity, informal water markets, and household water quality risk in Abetifi, Ghana

ABSTRACT

Water testing in Abetifi identified high turbidity, E. coli contamination, untreated storage, and limited treatment, increasing household water-quality and public health risks.

This study examines how plateau-induced water scarcity shapes household reliance on informal water markets and generates water-quality risks in Abetifi, a high-elevation town on Ghana's Kwahu Plateau. Using a quantitative cross-sectional design, survey data from 400 households were integrated with physicochemical and microbiological analyses of 60 water samples collected from source points and household storage. Findings reveal severe water scarcity, with households experiencing an average of 26.8 hours of daily supply interruption, travelling a mean distance of 642 m per collection trip, and spending up to 95 minutes per trip. Informal vendors serve as the primary water source for 44% of households and a secondary source for 37%, with 66% relying on them daily or weekly. Plateau-induced scarcity is strongly associated with informal market dependence (χ² = 18.64, p < 0.001). Water quality deteriorates during household storage, with turbidity increasing from 3.26 to 6.03 NTU and E. coli concentrations rising from 0.6 to 3.1 CFU/100 ml. High reliance on informal water markets is associated with elevated water-quality risk (χ² = 9.52, p = 0.009), while household size, educational attainment, and upper-plateau location further shape risk exposure (χ² = 10.87, p = 0.028). The findings highlight the need for terrain-sensitive and equity-oriented water governance.