BACTERIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL QUALITIES OF BOREHOLE WATER IN HOSTELS

ABSTRACT

The bacteriological and physicochemical qualities of borehole water are critical indicators of water safety and public health. This study focused on the borehole water from two hostels, Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) and Grace Alele Williams (GAW), at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU). The primary objectives were to determine the physicochemical properties of the water, isolate microorganisms present, and characterize and identify the microorganisms.

Water samples were collected from both hostels using sterile containers following standard procedures to avoid contamination. The physicochemical properties, including pH, turbidity, nitrate concentration, and other parameters, were analyzed in accordance with WHO guidelines. Microbial analysis involved bacterial isolation through total viable count methods, Escherichia coli (E. coli) count, and Salmonella/Shigella count. Media such as Nutrient Agar, Eosin Methylene Blue Agar, and Salmonella Shigella Agar were utilized for bacterial isolation. Gram staining and biochemical tests, including catalase, coagulase, and oxidase tests, were performed for bacterial identification.

Results from the physicochemical analysis showed that the borehole water fell within the WHO permissible limits for drinking water, with pH ranging between 6.70 and 6.90, indicating near-neutral conditions. However, the bacteriological analysis revealed the presence of pathogenic microorganisms such as E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus spp., and Klebsiella spp., particularly in the GAW sample, where fecal contamination was evident.

The study concludes that while the physicochemical properties of the borehole water meet WHO standards, the presence of bacteria, particularly E. coli, raises concerns about the potential health risks to students consuming this water. The findings highlight the need for improved water treatment and sanitation measures in the university hostels to ensure safe drinking water for students.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       Introduction

1.1       Aim and Objectives

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.2       Microbiological Quality of Water

2.3       Types of Water/ Sources of Water

2.3.1    Atmospheric Water

2.3.2    Surface Water

2.3.3    Ground Water

2.3.4    Borehole

2.4       Sources of Water Contamination

2.5       Pathogenic Organisms Transmitted By Water

2.5.1    Indicator Organisms

2.5.2    Escherichia Coli

2.5.3    Faecal Streptococci

2.5.4    Enterobacter aerogenes.

CHAPTER THREE

MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1       Sample Collection

3.2       Microbial Analysis of the Water

3.3       Media Used For Isolation

3.4       Estimation of Total Viable Count

3.5       Faecal Coliform Count

3.6       Gram Staining

3.7       Biochemical Identification of Bacterial Isolates

3.8       Biochemicals Methods

3.8.1    Catalase Test

3.8.2    Coagulase Test

3.8.3    Citrate Test

3.8.4    Oxidase Test

3.8.5    Indole Test

3.8.6    Sugar Fermentation Test

3.8.7    Mortility Test

3.9       Methods in Detection of Coliforms in Borehole Water.

3.9.1    Multiple-Tube Fermentation Technique

3.9.2    Membrane Filter Technique

3.9.3    Plate Count Technique

3.10     Microbiological Methods Used For Examination of Water

3.11     Physicochemical Analysis

3.11.1  Nitrate

3.11.2  Temperature

3.11.3  Acidity

3.11.4  Hydrogen Ion Concentration (PH).

CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS

CHAPTER FIVE

DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FURTHER STUDIES

5.1       Discussion

5.2       Conclusion

5.3       Recommendation

5.4       Contribution to Knowledge

References

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE 1:       PHYSIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF WATER SAMPLES

TABLE 2:       MEAN MICROBIAL COUNTS OF WATER SAMPLES

TABLE 3:       MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ISOLATES

TABLE 4:       BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BACTERIAL ISOLATES

TABLE 5:       ISOLATED ORGANISMS FROM THE BOREHOLE SAMPLES

Table 6:           PERCENTAGE OCCURRENCE OF THE ISOLATES

LIST OF FIGURE

Figure 1: Percentage occurrence of the Isolates

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

Water is an essential element in the maintenance of all forms of life, and most living organisms can survive only for short periods without it (kegley and Andrews, 1998). Water is one of the most abundant and essential resources of man, and occupies about 70% of earth’s surface. About 97% of this volume of earth’s surface water is contained in the oceans, 21% in polar ice and glaciers, 0.3-0.8% underground, 0.009% in inland freshwaters such as lakes, while 0.00009% is contained in rivers (Eja, 2002). Water is the matrix of life as all biological reactions occur in water and is the most versatile chemical formed within any metabolizing cell (Obi et al., 2007). Water plays a key role in prevention of diseases, drinking eight glasses of water daily can decrease the risk of colon cancer by 45% and bladder cancer by 50% as well as reducing the risk of other cancers (APEC, 1999).

Traditionally, the most important of the quality characteristics has been the concentration of dissolved salts because of the relationship between salt and land productivity. Later, health related characteristics such as presence of disease-causing microorganisms became important. More recently, the introduction of anthropogenic chemicals, that have impact on health when present in trace amounts, has become a problem (Kegley and Andrews, 1998) of all the water sources on earth, only 3% are good (in terms of quality or freshness). These drinking water sources include: surface water    (rivers, streams, and reservoirs) and ground water (kelgley and Andrews, 1998).  Ground water is the water beneath the surface where all the voids in the rocks and soil are filled. It is a source of water for wells, boreholes and springs. A borehole is a hydraulic structure which when properly designed and constructed, permits the economic withdrawal of water from an aquifer. It is a narrow well drilled with machine. Borehole water is the water obtained from borehole drilled into aquifer or ground water zone, which is usually a fully saturated subterranean zone, some distance below the water table (NWRI, 1997). With the decline in the use of surface water for drinking water supply due to contamination, there is an increase in the reliance on ground water as drinking water source. Unfortunately, little attention is being paid to drinking water quality issues and quantity remains the priority focus during water supply projects. The need to define the quality of water has developed with the increasing demand for water which is suitable for specific uses and conforms to desired quality. Many different water collection and storage systems and strategies have been developed, described and evaluated on the basis of various criteria for household and community use (Harvey et al., 2004). Some of them have been evaluated in the field for their ability to reduce diarrheal and other waterborne diseases among users. Because of the important of education, socio-cultural acceptance, changing people’s beliefs and behaviours, achieving sustain ability and affordability in the provision of safe water, some of the most promising household water treatment and storage systems and their implementation strategies include or are accompanied by efforts to address these considerations. It is necessary to critically review the various candidate technologies and systems household water and to identify the most promising ones based on their technical characteristics and performance criteria. These characteristics and performance criteria are: effectiveness in improving and maintaining microbial water quality, reducing waterborne infectious disease, technical difficulty or simplicity, accessibility, cost, socio-cultural acceptability, sustainability, and potential for dissemination (Semenza et al., 1998). Contrary to the popular belief that borehole waters are perfect, the portability study of ground water in Enugu town, South Eastern Nigeria, where 88 ground water samples were analysed in order to evaluate their portability showed results that about 22% of the samples had concentrations of  higher than the world Health Organization (WHO) standard, while 8 out of the samples analysed for bacteriological quality showed evidence of sewage contamination. Also the identification of Escherichia coli in the water indicated faecal contamination (Onwuka et al., 2004). Many infections are associated with the lack of accessibility to portable water supply and poor environmental sanitation especially in developing countries. The following are microorganisms associated with water; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella, Mycobacteria, Escherichia coli, Proteus, Shigella sonnei, Klebsiella, Cyanobacteria (Muhammad et al., 2013). Waterborne diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms which are directly transmitted when contaminated water is consumed. Cholera is a good example of water borne disease and it is endemic in some parts of Nigeria. In 1991, more than 16,000 people died worldwide from half a million case of Cholera. (United Nation Environmental Programme, 1997).

Worldwide, roughly 1.1 billion people lack access to safe water and 1.7 million people are said to die every year from water-diarrheal diseases (Cutter and Miller, 2005). The incidents of water borne disease and epidemics nationwide arising from drinking water of doubtful quality have become of great concern. The primary purpose of the guideline for drinking water quality is the protection public health (WHO, 2006). Confirmations with physiochemical and microbiological standards is of special interest because of the capacity of water to spread diseases within a large population. Although the standard vary from place to place, the objective anywhere is to reduce the possibility of spreading waterborne diseases to the barest minimum in addition to being pleasant to drink, which implies that it must be wholesome and palatable in all respects (Edema et al., 2000).

1.1 AIM AND OBJECTIVES;

Aim

To determine the bacteriological and physicochemical qualities of borehole water in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike hostels.

Objectives

      i.         To determine the physiochemical properties of two different borehole water samples in MOUAU Student Hostels

     ii.         To isolate microorganisms from two different borehole water samples in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike Student Hostels, Abia State.

   iii.         To characterize and identify microorganisms isolated from two different borehole water in MOUAU Student Hostels.

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