Microbial And Physicochemical Characteristics Of Drinking Water Supplies In Uzuakoli, Bende L.G.A. Of Abia State:- Okezie, Onyemaechi

ABSTRACT The microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of drinking water supplies in Uzuakoli, Bende L.G.A. of Abia State were investigated using various conventional methods. A total of 240 water samples were collected from five streams and fifteen boreholes and analyzed for a period of six months covering the dry and rainy seasons. The streams are lyi Agbozu Ogbitiamapu, lyi Amankwo, lyi Nzu, Geregere Ngwu and the boreholes are in Agbozu,’ Amamba, Amankwo, Eluoma and Ngwu. Total heterotrophic counts, coliform counts, faecal coliform counts, and Salmonella counts were carried out on appropriate media using pour plate technique. The coliform were counted using the most probable number (MPN) by the multiple tube fermentation technique. The highest and lowest heterotrophic bacterial counts for the borehole samples during the dry and rainy seasons are from Ngwu and Amamba respectively, and ranged from 3.2 x 103cfu/ml to 5.0 x 104cfu/ ml and from 1.9 x 10 cfu/ml to 2.7 x 104 cfu/ml. The highest and lowest heterotrophic bacterial counts for the stream samples during the dry and rainy seasons are from Ogbitiamapu and Geregere Ngwu respectively and ranged from 4.4 x 104 cfu/ml to 7.1 x 106 cfu/ml and 3.4 x 104 cfu/ml to 6.6 x 106 cfu/ml. The highest and lowest coliform count for the borehole samples during the dry and rainy seasons are from Agbozu and Ngwu respectively and ranged from 3 MPN/lOOml to 9 MPN/lOOml and 2 MPN/lOOml to 6 MPN/lOOml. Borehole water from Amamba and Eluoma had the best quality and does not have any coliform during the dry season. The highest and lowest coliform count for the stream samples during the dry and rainy seasons are from Ogbitiamapu and Geregere Ngwu respectively and ranged from 9 MPN/lOOml to 14 MPN/lOOml and 8 MPN/lOOml to 10 MPN/lOOml. lyi Amamkwo and lyi Nzu had the best quality and does not have coliform during the dry season while all the streams had coliforms during the rainy season. The borehole samples had the best quality as no faecal coliform were found during the dry season. During the rainy season boreholes samples from Amamba, Amankwo and Eluoma had the best quality as no faecal coliform were found in the samples and therefore fit for consumption. The highest and lowest faecal coliform counts for the stream samples during the dry and rainy seasons are from lyi Agbozu and Geregere Ngwu respectively and ranged from 2 MPN/lOOml to 9 MPN/lOOml and 2 MPN/lOOml to 5 MPN/lOOml. lyi Amankwo and lyi Nzu had the best quality and does not have coliform during the dry and rainy season and are fit for consumption. There were no Salmonella counts during the dry and rainy seasons for the boiehole samples apart from the stream water samples. The frequency of occurrence of the isolates are Staphylococcus aureus 63% in borehole and 85% in streams. Pseudomonas aeruginosa 49% in boreholes and 95% in streams, Proteus spp 52% in boreholes and 97% in streams, St/ eptococcus spp 46% in boreholes and 53% in streams, Enterobacter aerogenes 33% in boreholes and 63% in streams, Escherichia coli 16% in boreholes and 53% in streams and Salmonella spp no percentage in boreholes and 40% in streams. The physicochemical parameters of the borehole and stream water samples during the dry and rainy seasons were determined. The temperature ranged from 25°C - 32°C; pH ranged from 5.3 -8.1; turbidity ranged 0.03 — 3.23, dissolved oxygen ranged from 3.45 — 7.40mg/l; biochemical oxygen demand ranged from 1.20 - 4.32mg/l; chemical oxygen demand ranged from 2.50 - 5.21mg/l; Calcium ranged from 0.81 - 5.64mg/l; potassium ranged from 1.01 - 4.22mg/l; Nitrate ranged om 1.49 - 4.02mg/l, magnesium ranged from 0.13 —2.20mg/l; phosphate ranged from 0.51 — The water samples were all within the WHO limits apart from sample from lyi g ozu that had temperature of 32 C. The study revealed poor bacteriological quality for the orehole and stream water sources and should be treated before use to prevent health hazards.