Variation in some water quality parameters in vended water from source to consumption: A case of Anguwar Liman area of Samaru-Zaria, Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: In recent years, vended water has increasingly become a source of drinking water in most of the urban and rural centers of developing countries due to inadequate piped water supplies. Hence, this study assessed the quality of vended water and its level of contamination at source, during transportation, and at point of use in Unguwar Liman area of Samaru-Zaria during rainy and dry seasons. Materials and Methods: This included assessment of physicochemical and bacteriological characteristics and comparing the findings with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ). The water samples were analyzed for color, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, nitrate, phosphate, biological oxygen demand (BOD), and total coliform (TC). Results: The color of all the samples was constant at 5 true color unit irrespective of season and point of sampling. However, the mean concentrations or values of the three points assessed for turbidity, TDS, pH, and nitrate during dry and wet seasons were 1.693 and 2.663 nephelometric turbidity unit; 670 and 257 mg/l; 8.3 and 7.3 then 0.105 and 0.178 mg/l, respectively. Similarly, the mean concentrations for phosphate, BOD, and TC during dry and wet seasons were 0.0006 and 0.0068 mg/l; 1.052 and 0.928 mg/l, and 4 and 27 most probable number/100 ml, respectively. The result also revealed that all the physicochemical parameters investigated were within the acceptable limits of the WHO standard and NSDWQ irrespective of the season (except TDS during the wet season), while coliform counts were above the permissible limit during both seasons. Conclusion: It was established that the vended water of the study area has better quality during the dry season hence, inhabitants of the study area were advised to disinfect vended water mostly during the rainy season before consumption in other to avoid waterborne diseases.