ABSTRACT

 This study evaluated the physicological and bacteriological quality of water from Idechi and Okpomu streams in Umuezeagwu Amuzukwu, Abia state, Nigeria. From this study a total of twenty two (22) bacteria strains were obtained and identified using morphological characteristics, pigmentation on media, microscopy, biochemical and sugar fermentation methods. This reveals the major bacterial isolates to belong to Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp, Streptococcus sp, Klebsiella sp, Escherichia coli and Salmonella sp. the total heterotrophic plate count ranged from 1.8 x 105 to 3.5 x 103 with the midstream ofthe Okpomu stream giving the highest mean count whereas the downstream ofthe Idechi stream has the lowest mean count. The total coliform plate count ranged from 2.0 x 105 to 4.1 x 105 with the midstream of the Idechi stream giving the highest mean count whereas the downstream of the Idechi stream has the lowest mean count, it was observed that Escherichia coli is the most frequently occurring isolates with a percentage occurrence of (27.3%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus with a percentage occurrence of (22.7%), Bacillus sp with the percentage occurrence of (18.6%) and Salmonella sp with a percentage occurrence of(13.6%), whereas Streptococcus sp and Klebsiella sp had the least percentage occurrence of (9.1%). The antibiotic sensitivity test reviewed that Ofloxacin (95.5% is the drug of choice following the fact that it showed high rate of sensitivity to the bacterial isolates tested, this is followed by Gentamicin (90.9%), Streptomycin (77.3%), Ceftriaxone and Peflacine (50.0%), Amoxycillin/clavulanic acid (45.5%) whereas Ampicillin (18.2%) has the least percentage susceptibility to the isolates. The results of physicochemical parameters showed that the pH values recorded were observed to be within the WHO standard of 6.5-8.5 except for the Midstream point ofthe two streams with pH values of 8.98 and 9.08. The bacteriological and physiochemical qualities ofthe evaluated stream waters were averagely poor, and are certainly not fit for human consumption as they are oflow quality threshold. This may be due to direct contamination by animal and human excreta and other anthropogenic activities such as swimming, washing of clothes, farming etc., and thus, require further purification to ensure their suitability for human utility