Bacteriological Quality Of Drinking Water Research Articles

Bacteriological and physico-chemical quality of household drinking water in Kisii Town, Kisii County, Kenya

Water is a basic human need which is required in many operations especially in households. However, this essential commodity in most cases does not meet the generally accepted safety standards. The study was designed to investigate the physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of drinking water used in households in Kisii town, Kenya. Analytical cross-sectional study was conducted to obtain information concerning household drinking water quality and safety. Stratified random sampling was used to obtain 422 drinking water samples at the point of consumption from the 4 zones of Kisii town for analysis. From the study it was revealed that TDS and electrical conductivity of the analyzed water samples were within the recommended standards of less than 1000 ppm and 1500 μSCM−1 respectively. Further, it was found that 69.4% of the samples had pH range of between 6.5-8.5, 91.9% had turbidity of less than 5NTU, 3.8% had temperature below 15 °C and 31.2% of the chlorinated samples had chlorine residue above 0.2 ppm. In terms of bacteriological analysis, 39.3% of the samples were contaminated with total coliforms and 17.5% with E. coli. The main finding from the study was that the household water samples were contaminated with bacteria and unfit for human consumption because both total coliforms and E. coli exceeded the recommended Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and WHO standards. Therefore, public health officers should not only collect water samples from sources but also from households regularly to ascertain its quality and provide water safety promotion education to the general public. There was a strong relationship between bacterial contamination and temperature as well as chlorine residue. The study recommends Gusii Water and Sanitation Company (GWASCO) whose treatment and distribution capacity is expected to increase 4.5 times the current capacity to improve on their chlorine dosage at the treatment plant to ensure a minimum chlorine residue of 0.2 ppm at the household and community taps.

Bacteriological quality of human drinking water in high-margination zones in Chiapas

To analyze the bacteriological quality of drinking water (BQDW) and its association with diarrhoea and intestinal parasites in children 1 to 14 years old, in areas of high levels of poverty in Chiapas, Mexico. From March to September 1998, drinking water was collected from a random sample of 99 households in the Border Region of Chiapas, Mexico; data on diarrhoeal disease (in the past 15 days) were collected and stool testing for intestinal parasites was performed in children 1 to 14 years old (n = 322). The BQDW was determined by the filtration membrane technique. Intestinal parasitic infections were determined by the Faust Method. The chi 2 statistic was used to analyse factors associated with BQDW. Only 31% of the water samples were adequate for human consumption. The BQDW and the presence of diarrhoea (informed by the mothers of the children) showed no association. Children living in households with inadequate BQDW had a higher prevalence of Entamoeba histolytica and a greater tendency to have intestinal parasites. It is necessary to develop programs that improve BQDW and to develop education efforts aimed at increasing the use of boiled water and the adequate management and care of community water storage sites.

Impact of Seasonal Variation on Bacteriological Quality of Drinking Water

To assess the bacteriological quality 768 drinking water samples were collected from different locations in Khairpur City, Sindh, Pakistan over a period of two years from January 2006 to December 2007. The study reveals that out of 768 drinking water samples 567 (73.83%) samples were found to be contaminated with total coliform among them 85 (11.06%) found in the January-March period, 182 (23.70%) in April-June period, 188 (24.47%) in July-September, 112 (14.58%) in October-December period. Faecal coliform was found in 351 (45.70%) water sample, in which 49 (15.80%) occurred during January-March, 137 (17.83%) during April-June, 136 (17.71%) during July-September and 69 (8.98%) during September-December. It can be concluded from the results of the present study that bacteriological quality of two-third drinking water in Khairpur City is not safe as the water is the potential source of diarrhoeal disease agents. Keywords: Drinking water; Khairpur City; Faecal pollution; DiarrhoeaDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjm.v25i1.4862 Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 25, Number 1, June 2008, pp 69-72