Comparing the Bacteriological and Physicochemical Properties of House-hold Drinking Water in Uli and Assessing the Associated Public Health Implications

Abstract

A study of the comparative analysis of house-hold drinking water quality in Uli, Anambra State was carried out in the Microbiology Laboratory of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli to evaluate the water, with a view to assessing the public health implication of water from these sources. Trips were made to living homes to obtain samples of their drinking water. Twenty Samples were used for the study. Ten samples were collected from homes that drank straight from the boreholes. Five samples were collected from those that drank sachet water and five from those that drank bottled water. Microbiological and physicochemical parameters were utilized using standard methods. Most probable number (MPN) technique was employed in the bacteriological analysis of the water samples. Biochemical tests were utilized in the identification of the microorganisms. Results based on the cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics, revealed the samples to contain three isolates identified as Escherichiacoli, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella sp. The pH of all the treated water samples were neutral, pH of the borehole water samples was neutral. The temperature of the sachet water samples ranged between 22.5 – 23.5 whereas that the borehole water samples were 22°C – 22.2°C respectively. The total dissolved solid of the treated water samples ranged between 0.82mg/1 and 1.60mg/1, whereas that of the borehole water samples ranged between 7.07 – 20mg/l. The total suspended solids of the treated water samples were not detected whereas that of the borehole water samples ranged between 31 – 55mg/l. Results from total coliform counts for the samples were highest in the boreholes with a total coliform count of 2.4MPN per ml. Faecal coliform count was highest in the borehole samples. The presence of high faecal coliform count in the borehole samples could be attributed to the proximity of the boreholes to pit latrines at distances less than the 30m. This does not conform with WHO recommendations for safe drinking water. From the results, all the untreated drinking water sampled from Uli were unfit for human consumption. This could be responsible for the incessant gastroenteritis, staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome, dysentery and Klebsiella pneumonia observed in Uli and environs. This study suggests that all the drinking water from various sources used by the inhabitants of Uli and environs should be treated before drinking.