Abstract
Bacteriological quality assessment of some hand-dug shallow water wells in Awka metropolis was carried out during the dry and wet seasons to determine their potability. The total bacterial, total coliform, faecal coliform and Vibrio chloreae counts were determined using standard laboratory methods. The total bacterial counts during the dry season ranged from 100 to 300 cfu/100ml; total coliform counts, 42-126 cfu/100ml; faecal coliform counts, 10-26 cfu/100ml and Vibrio cholerae counts, 2-10cfu/100ml. During the wet season, the total bacterial counts ranged from 148 to 450 cfu/100ml; total coliform counts, 77-240 cfu/100ml; faecal coliform counts, 12-30 cfu/100ml and Vibrio cholerae counts, 6-13 cfu/100ml. The bacteria isolated during the dry season were Salmonella typhi (7.44%), Proteus vulgaris (18.08%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27.55%), Enterobacter aerogenes (35.71%), Vibrio cholerae (2.85%) and Escherichia coli (8.37%). During the wet season, the bacterial isolates were Salmonella typhi (6.14%), Proteus vulgaris (14.56%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21.69%), Enterobacter aerogenes (29.70%), Vibrio cholerae (3.66%), Escherichia coli (8.23%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.03%). All the water wells studied were of poor bacteriological quality. Appropriate water purification methods should therefore be developed for such wells to avert a public health hazard.
Highlights
Water is one of the most important and abundant compounds in the ecosystem
In as much as safe drinking water is essential to health, a community lacking a good quality of it will be saddled with lots of health problems which could otherwise be avoided [1]
The count was more during the wet season than during the dry season due to the fact that rain water carrying microorganisms must have infiltrated into the wells
Summary
Water is one of the most important and abundant compounds in the ecosystem. All living organisms on the earth need water for their survival and growth. The earth is the only planet having about 70% of water. Water is used for an array of activities such as drinking, food preparation and sanitation. In as much as safe drinking water is essential to health, a community lacking a good quality of it will be saddled with lots of health problems which could otherwise be avoided [1]. Access to adequate safe drinking water is of prime importance to many governmental and international organizations since it is the core component of primary health care and a basic component of human development as well as precondition of man’s success to deal with hunger, poverty and death [2]
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