ABSTRACT

The lack of awareness and disregard for caution and information by the producers, consumers and customers on the importance of the characteristic content, pathogenic or parasitic organisms and other influences which may arise from environmental and human impacts associated with drinking water create uncertainties in the reliability of the quality of drinking water distributed for consumption. This study investigated the factors responsible for deterioration. The physico-chemical assessments of all samples before storage were observed to conform to the recommended limits of World Health Organization, 2017. However, the microbiological total coliform count assessment of the same samples before storage showed the absence of coliform while samples PW1, PW2, PW5, PW7 & PW10) presented with high total coliform count of (70-780CFU/ml). Further investigation revealed that there was a correlation between the deterioration of water samples with time and the purification processes used in water production such as reverse osmosis, ultra violet light sterilization and carbon filtration. High concentrations of some metals such as Fe and Pb were observed in samples PW (1, 2, 3, 7, 8, & 10). The change in colour from 5Hu to 10Hu in samples (PW2, PW3, PW8 & PW10) during the shelf period, corresponded with their objectionable taste observed and also the increased turbidity values of PW3 with 7.75NTU, 10.31NTU and 14.05NTU monthly during the period of shelf, and also PW8 with 11.74NTU in the third month which were above the permissible limits of 5NTU by the W.H.O.  The fluctuations in the values of some parameters such as dissolved oxygen levels, total hardness, and conductivity and pH levels are dependent on the chemical, physical, and biochemical activities occurring in the packaged water such of as the respiratory and metabolic activities of the Total Coliforms on nutrients, temperature, and the degree of light penetration.  The deterioration in the values of the parameters evidently showed that Packaged drinking water may at certain stages of treatment, processing and storage become not conducive for human consumption even before its expiry date and so there is need for consistent water quality and treatment control checks of drinking water from time to time and this may still be the best approach of having a good packaged water quality.