Abstract
This study covers some physical, chemical, and bacteriological parameters needed to be tested for drinking water quality. The purpose of the research is to assess and compare the quality of five different brands of sachet water marketed in Bo city and to give relevant recommendation(s) were possible. The results obtained were compared to the standard set for each parameter by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the maximum contaminant level set by the United State Environment Protection Agency (USEPA). Five brands of sachets water were selected in Bo city and their physical and chemical parameters were evaluated in the Njala University Quality Control Laboratory (NUQCL), and their bacteriological evaluation was done in the Sierra Rutile laboratory. The physical parameters tested for were in accordance with the standards set by the WHO with the exception of the temperatures for each brand which were above the WHO standard. The pH of all the sachets water was in the acidic range, below the standard range and the maximum contaminant level set by the WHO and USEPA respectively. This affected the alkalinity of all the sachets water to be zero (0). None of the sachets water completely met the WHO standard and the USEPA maximum contaminant level for all the parameters tested for in this research. In this regard, none of the sachets water is completely recommended for drinking.
Highlights
It is necessary to know or to determine the quality of water especially drinking water, as the common saying goes “water is life”
Five brands of sachets water were selected in Bo city and their physical and chemical parameters were evaluated in the Njala University Quality Control Laboratory (NUQCL), and their bacteriological evaluation was done in the Sierra Rutile laboratory
A bundle of each brand of the sachet water was purchased from different shops since they do not have batch numbers, and six sachets from each brand bundle were placed in a cool-man and were taken directly to the Njala University Quality Control Laboratory (NUQCL)
Summary
It is necessary to know or to determine the quality of water especially drinking water, as the common saying goes “water is life”. This means that human beings need enough water to survive. In 2009, Africa’s population exceeded 1 billion and continues to increase at a rate of 2.4% annually Of this population, 341 million lack access to clean drinking water, and a further 589 million have no access to adequate sanitation. Increases in coverage are not keeping pace with population growth, which means it will be unlikely that the 2015 Millennium Development Goals will be met [1]
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