Abstract
The aim of this paper is to analyze the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and total coliform bacteria (CB) in the drinking water of urban and rural areas of the Bitola region, as indicators for water quality and safety. All water in urban area is chlorinated, while at the same time the water in rural areas is non-chlorinated. The samples were analyzed according to the international standard method of membrane filtration MKC EN ISO 9308-1:2015. In all examined samples of drinking water in urban area, presence of E. coli and CB was not detected as a result of the disinfection of the water. On contrary, in all tested samples of the water from the rural water supply, presence of E. coli and CB was confirmed. Significant increase in coliform bacterial counts probably weather-related was found in the period from April to September. In addition, in the third quarter including July, August, and September, in many measurements, E. coli as an indicator of faecal contamination was identified in drinking water. In accordance with these findings and in order to provide safe drinking water, it is necessary to modernize the water supply for the population in rural areas, to disinfect permanently the drinking water and to apply regular laboratory controls which are a basic pre-condition. Otherwise, inappropriate management of the water systems can cause serious decrease in the quality and safety of the drinking water associated with an increased risk of appearance of the infectious diseases in people and hydric epidemic. Key words: drinking water, Escherichia coli, coliform bacteria, membrane filtration
Highlights
The water is of vital importance to the living organisms
The results have shown absence of E. coli and coliform bacteria (CB) in all assayed samples of chlorinated water as a result of the chlorination of the water i.e. its disinfection
The chlorination of drinking water is a public health measure that was introduced to control microbial contamination in the early 20th century, and still remains the most common drinking water disinfectant used around the world today (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2012)
Summary
Providing access to safe water is one of the most efficient instruments for promotion of people’s health. Safe and accessible water is important for the public health, no matter if it is used for drinking, for home use, for production of food or for recreational purposes. Microbe contamination of the drinking water causes acute and chronic damage to human health. Drinking of contaminated water with bacteria, viruses and protozoa, may induce a lot of infective diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis and infective gastrointestinal diseases such as cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis. Usual symptoms of these diseases include fever, fatigue and weight loss, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and stomach ache. These sensitive groups include babies, small children, pregnant women, older people and immune-compromised people (Onyango et al, 2018; Sacchetti et al, 2014)
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