Evaluation of bacterial contamination in domestic water sources in Aluu community in Rivers State, Nigeria

Abstract

A microbiological investigation was conducted to assess the quality of domestic water in Aluu community, Rivers State, Nigeria. Ten borehole water samples (labelled A to J) from residential houses were analyzed for total heterotrophic bacteria, coliform, faecal coliform, Salmonella, Shigella, and Escherichia coli (E. coli) using standard microbiological techniques. The results showed a range of 1.3±0.01×10² to 7.7±0.17×10² CFU/ml for total heterotrophic bacteria, 0.3±0.02×10² to 28.8±0.04×10² CFU/ml for total coliform, and 0 to 17.8±0.75×10² CFU/ml for faecal coliform. Salmonella and Shigella were detected in some samples, while E. coli was present in most samples, with a maximum occurrence of 35% in water sample H. The presence of E. coli and other pathogens in the groundwater indicates a significant public health concern, highlighting the need to treat domestic water before consumption to minimize adverse health effects.

Keywords: Water quality, Escherichia coli, microbiological analysis, public health.