Bacteriological Quality Assessment of Borehole Water in Ogbaru Communities, Anambra State, Nigeria

Onuorah Samuel,Igwemadu Nkiruka,Odibo Frederick

doi:10.13189/ujcm.2019.070101

Abstract

Ogbaru Communities are usually submerged by intense flood during the rainy season, but such flood recedes during the dry season. This natural occurrence makes the quality of the borehole water in the area questionable. The total bacterial, total coliform, faecal coliform and Vibrio cholerae counts of samples from fifteen boreholes in the communities were determined during both seasons using standard analytical methods. The values were 100-270 cfu/100ml;10-42cfu/100ml;0-28 cfu/100ml and 0-13cfu/100ml for total bacterial, total coliform, faecal coliform and Vibrio cholerae counts respectively during the dry season and 130-450 cfu/100ml; 25-86 cfu/100ml; 0-75 cfu/100ml and 0-18 cfu/100ml for the total bacterial, total coliform, faecal coliform and Vibrio cholerae counts respectively during the rainy season. Salmonella typhi (53.3%), Enterobacter aerogenes (53.3%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (46.7%), Proteus vulgaris (46.7%), klebsiella variicola (26.7%), Escherichia coli (26.7%), Staphylococcus aureus (13.3%) and Vibrio cholerae (33.3%) were isolated during the dry season while S. typhi (60.0%), E. aerogenes (60.0%), P. aeruginosa (53.3%), P. vulgaris (46.7%). K. variicola (33.3%), E. coli (26.7%), S. aureus (13.3%), V. cholerae (46.7%) and Providencia sneebia (6.7%) were recovered during the rainy season. S. typhi occurred most frequently during both seasons. Total bacterial, total coliform and Vibrio cholerae counts were significant at 5% significance level using t-distribution. The boreholes analysed were polluted by bacteria and need adequate treatment such as sand filtration, chlorination and boiling before drinking to avert a public health hazard.

Highlights

Ground water is an increasingly important resource all over the world
Salmonella typhi and Enterobacter aerogenes were each detected in eight (53.3%); Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus vulgaris each in seven (46.7%); Klebsiella variicola and Escherichia coli in four (26.7%); Staphylococcus aureus in two (13.3%) and Vibrio cholerae in five (33.3%) of the boreholes investigated
Salmonella typhi and Enterobacter aerogenes were each isolated from nine (60.0%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa from eight (53.3%), Proteus vulgaris from seven (46.7%),klebsiella variicola from five (33.3%), Escherichia coli from four (26.7%), Staphylococcus aureus from two (13.3%), Vibrio cholerae from seven (46.7%) and Providencia sneebia from one (6.7%) of the boreholes studied

Summary

Introduction

Ground water is an increasingly important resource all over the world. It is the subsurface water that occurs beneath the water table in soils and geological formation that are usually saturated. Ground water is generally less susceptible to contamination and pollution when compared to surface water bodies [1].Ground water pollution occurs widely from diverse sources such as water disposal facilities, industrial pollution, agricultural practices, atmosphere fallout, clearing of vegetation, over abstraction of ground water and excavation below the water table [2] It affects water quality and threatens human health, economic development and social prosperity [3].Microbiological health risks are associated with many aspects of water use, including drinking water in developing countries, irrigation, reuse of treated wastewater and recreational water use [4]. Events which occur between and within bacteria and plankton populations affect water quality [5]

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Discussion

Conclusion