Microbiological and physico-chemical analyses of hand dug well-water near pit latrine in a rural Area of Western Nigeria

Abstract

Contamination of water from feacal sources can lead to major outbreaks of water-borne diseases when such water is consumed without proper treatment. The microbiological and physicochemical analyses of well-water sample collected near pit latrines in Oko, Oyo State, Nigeria were carried out during rainy and dry seasons. Microbiological analysis was carried out by using Most Probable Number (MPN) technique while physico-chemical parameters of the well-water samples were determined by standard procedures. Thermotolerant coliforms were present in all the well-water analysed during both seasons, while total coliform ranged from 350 to 160,000 and 110 to 160,000 MPN/100 ml in rainy and dry season respectively. Results obtained showed that seasonal changes had a significant impact on water quality and that some of the chemical, physical, biological and trace metal parameters analyzed in the samples from study locations were above the acceptable standards for portable water. Water samples from these wells were unsafe for human consumption without proper treatments.