eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Environmental Protection 2328-7233 2020-02-19 8 1 17 26 10.12691/env-8-1-3 ENV2020813 article Abdul-Rahaman Issahaku irahaman2@uds.edu.gh 1 Abukari Wumbei 2 Desert Research Institute, University for Development Studies, P. O. Box 1350, Tamale, Ghana Institute for Interdisciplinary Research and Consultancy Services, University for Development Studies, P. O. Box 1350, Tamale. Ghana Poor sanitation in Sagnarigu Municipality of Northern Region was conducted from January to October 2018. Three communities (Fuo, Kpalsi and Sognayili) in the municipality were studied and compared with the engineered land field site at Gbalahi in the municipality as the control site. The sampling techniques used were cluster and purposive. The USEPA approved method for wastewater analysis (APHA, AWWA, WEF, 1998) was used to analyse physicochemical and bacterial load of leachate from unapproved dumpsites and wastewater from the engineering landfill site. Whiles Gbalahi had 5.2× 104 coliform units, Fuo, Kpalsi and Sognayili respectively had 6.8×104, 8.0×104 7.6×104 coliform units and showed that unapproved dump sites had more excreta content than engineered landfill sites. However, Cu (18 mg/l) and Zn (8 mg/l) at Gbalahi were more than those at the study sites and so electrical conductivity at Gbalahi (3589.00 µS/cm) was more than the average 1597 EC (µS/cm) electrical conductivity of the study sites. The study concludes that, lack of public toilets and the absence of household latrines were the factors responsible for open defecation in Sagnarigu. The challenges in using public toilets were; smelly and poor hygienic condition of the toilets, distance and cost of using them. The study recommends that, the Municipal Assembly should intensify education and sensitization of open defecation and enforce by-laws regarding open defecation. http://pubs.sciepub.com/env/8/1/3/env-8-1-3.pdf physicochemical bacterial leachate dump sites Sagnarigu