The microbial and physiochemical qualities of water supply in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike hostels

ABSTRACT

The microbial and physicochemical qualities of water supply in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike hostels were investigated. Four samples were collected from different sources such as Ibrahim Babangida(IBB)hostel (male), Grace Allele (GA) hostel (female), Administrative block borehole (AU) (admin unit) and Good luck Jonathan transformational(GJ) hostel (new hostel complex). Samples were collected carefully and investigation entailed the microbial and physicochemical qualities such as bacterial count, coliform count, pH, temperature, total hardness and BOD. Bacterial species present included Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia .coli. The Salmonella-shigella (SSC) count mean values were 0 for both AU and GJ, with IBB and GA having mean values of 2 cfu/ml and 4 cfu/ml respectively, Mean  feacal coliform count value ranged from 2 MPN/ml to 13 MPN/ml. The values of BOD, pH, Temperature, alkalinity, total hardness ranged between 0.98 to 1.42mg/l, 6.72 to 7.53, 24 to 28°C, 0.60 to 1.40mg/l, 19.42 to 35.19 respectively. Though the water samples met the minimum WHO standards for potable water, some of the criteria were not met. Nonetheless, if adequate measures are undertaken, these water sources could be perfect as a source of water for domestic and drinking purposes.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page ﾿ i

Certification ﾿ ii

Dedication ﾿ iii

Acknowledgements ﾿ iv

Table of contents ﾿ v

Abstract ﾿ ix

﾿ 4

      CHAPTER TWO

2.1 ﾿       Literature review ﾿ 5 

2.2 ﾿ Microbiological  Quality Of Water ﾿ 5

             CHAPTER ONE

1.0 ﾿      Introduction

1.1 ﾿ Aims and Objectives ﾿ ﾿ 4

CHAPTER TWO

2.1 ﾿ Literature Review ﾿     ﾿ 5

2.2 ﾿      Microbiological  Quality of Water ﾿     ﾿ 5

2.3 ﾿ Types of Water ﾿ 6

2.3.1    Atmospheric Water ﾿ 6

2.3.2    Surface Water ﾿     ﾿ 6

2.3.3    Ground Water ﾿ 7

2.4 ﾿ Sources of water contamination ﾿ 7

2.5 ﾿ Pathogenic Organisms Transmitted by Water ﾿   ﾿ 7

2.5.1 ﾿ Determining Faecal Pollution ﾿   ﾿ 8

2.5.2 ﾿ Indicator Organisms for Faecal Pollution and their Characteristics ﾿   ﾿ 8

2.6.1 ﾿ Physico-Chemical Quality Of Water ﾿   ﾿ 9

2.6.1    Temperature ﾿   ﾿ 9

2.6.2 ﾿ Phosphate ﾿ 9

2.6.3 ﾿ Total Dissolved Solids (Tds) (Mg/L) ﾿   ﾿ 9

2.6.4 ﾿ Hydrogen Ion Concentration (Ph) ﾿   ﾿ 9

2.6.5 ﾿ Alkalinity (Mg/L) ﾿ ﾿ 10

2.6.6 ﾿ Total Hardness ﾿ ﾿ 10

2.7 ﾿     Methods Used In Detection Of Coliform In Borehole Water ﾿ 11

2.7.1 ﾿ Multiple-tube fermentation technique ﾿   ﾿ 11

2.7.2 ﾿ Membrane filter technique ﾿ 12

2.8 ﾿     Microbiological methods used for 

            examination of water ﾿ 14

CHAPTER THREE

3.0       Materials And Methods ﾿   ﾿ 16

3.1 ﾿ Study Area ﾿   ﾿ 16

3.2 ﾿ Collection OF Samples ﾿   ﾿ 16

3.3 ﾿ Microbial Analysis Of The Water Samples ﾿   ﾿ 16

3.4 ﾿ Media For Isolation ﾿   ﾿ 17

3.5 ﾿ Preparation To Inoculation Of Sample ﾿   ﾿ 17

3.6       Estimation Of Total Viable Count ﾿   ﾿ 17

3.7       Faecal Coliform Count ﾿ ﾿ 18

3.8 ﾿ Gram Staining ﾿ ﾿ 19

3.9 ﾿ Biochemical Identification Of Bacterial Isolates ﾿ ﾿ 20

3.10 ﾿ Biochemical Methods ﾿ 20

3.10.1 ﾿ Catalase ﾿ 20

3.10.2 ﾿ Coagulase test ﾿               ﾿ 20

3.10.3 ﾿ Citrate test ﾿ 20

3.10.4 ﾿ Oxidase test ﾿ 21

3.10.5 ﾿ Indole test ﾿ 21

3.10.6 ﾿ Sugar fermentation test ﾿   21

3.11 ﾿ Physicochemical Analysis ﾿ ﾿ 22

3.11.1 ﾿ pH determination ﾿ 22

3.11.2 ﾿ Temperature ﾿ 22

3.11.3 ﾿ Total dissolved solids (TDS) ﾿ 22

3.11.4 ﾿ Alkalinity ﾿ 23

3.11.5 Biological Oxygen Demand ﾿ 23

3.11.6 Total Hardness ﾿ ﾿ 23

CHAPTER FOUR

4.O      Results ﾿             24

            CHAPTER FIVE

Disscusion, Conclusion And Recommendation For Further Studies ﾿ 29

5.1 ﾿ Discussion ﾿ ﾿ 29

5.2 ﾿ Conclusion ﾿ ﾿ 31 

5.3      Recommendation ﾿ 31

5.4     Contribution To Knowledge ﾿   ﾿   31

References