The Microbiological And Physico-Chemical Analysis Of Water From Selected Boreholes In Aba, Abia State.

ABSTRACT

The microbiological and Physico-chemical analysis of the ten borehole waters used by Aba residents were carried out using the most probable number techniques (MPN) for the detection of feacal coliform. Eight bacterial species Enterobacter spp, Escherichia coil, Staphylococcus spp, Proteus spp, Kiebsiella spp, Bacillus spp, Actinobacter spp and Pseudonionas spp were isolated together with two fungal species namely Aspergillus spp and Saccharomyces spp. The total herterotrophic plate count (THPC) gave a range of 0.78 X iO4— 1.50 X iO4cfu/ml with a mean of 1.15 X iO3cfulml while the total coliform count gave a range of 8 — 16 X 104with mean of 12.6 X iO3cfu. The presumptive feacal coliform ranged between 8 - 16 coliform per lOOmI with a mean of 12.2 coliform per ml. Feacal coliform was detected in all the water samples. The Physico-Chemical parameter values were within acceptable limits. The findings show that all the water samples from the borehole did not meet WHO standard for drinking. Thus, the borehole waters should be treated before drinking.