Comparative Analysis Of Pipeborne Water And Other Sources Of Water Within Ikwuano Locality

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to carryout a comparative analysis of pipeborne water and other sources of water in Ikwuano Locality. A total of ten (10) water samples were collected from Umuariaga, Umugbalu, Amawom, Amaoba, Amandoro, Isiala and Umuosoko. The samples analyzed were aseptically collected into separate sterile containers. The media and reagents used for bacteriological analysis of water were weighed out and prepared according to manufacturers’ specification. Nutrient agar (NA), MacConkey agar (MA), Eosin methylene blue agar (EMBA). The spread plate method was used. Ten-fold serial dilution of each water sample was prepared aseptically in physiological saline of 10-1 up to 10-4 and 0.1 ml aliquot of each dilution was plated on Nutrient agar plates in triplicate. All incubations were conducted at 37°C for 24 hrs under aerobic conditions. After incubation and several biochemical and Morphological characteristics were carried out, Nine (9) bacterial genera was observed which include Escherichia coli, Streptococcus sp, Staphylococcus aureus Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp, Enterobacter, Flavobacterium, Proteus sp Bacillus. The temperature of the water samples ranged between 28.0 and 28.9°C, while the pH ranged from 6.40 to 8.59. All the samples were colorless and odorless . The water samples from the boreholes had a coliform range of 8x104 to 1.0 x104cfu/ml while the total bacterial count ranged from 7.0 x 104 to 0.2x 104 . The Morphological and Biochemical Characteristics of Isolates which Nine (9) bacterial genera was observed which include Escherichia coli, Streptococcus sp, Staphylococcus aureus Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp, Enterobacter, Flavobacterium, Proteus sp and Bacillus sp. The percentage occurrence of microbial isolates. Enterobacter 17% was predominant, followed by Staphylococcus sp 13%, Klebsiella sp 13, Proteus sp 13, while E.coli 8.7%, Streptococcus 8.7%, Pseudomonas sp 8.7%, Bacillus sp 8.7% and Flavobacterium 8.7% were less predominant. It is advisable that the regulatory agencies should ensure that waste waters from the surface and potable waters be properly treated before it is released into the environment to avoid contamination of the rivers and streams that most of the populace particularly in developing world rely on for human sustenance.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title page  ﾿ i

Certification ﾿ ii

Dedication ﾿ iii

Acknowledgments ﾿ iv

Table of Contents ﾿ v

List of Tables ﾿ v

Abstract ﾿ vi

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       Introduction ﾿ 1

1.1 ﾿ Aim and Objectives  ﾿ 3

CHAPTER TWO

2.0  ﾿ Literature   Review  ﾿ 4

2.1 ﾿ Drinking Water ﾿ 5

2.2 ﾿ Sources of Water ﾿ 7

2.3 ﾿ Quality of Borehole Water  ﾿ 8

2.4 ﾿ Variations in Borehole Water Quality ﾿ 10

2.5 ﾿ Quality of Water and Health  ﾿ 11

2.6 ﾿ Water Quality Standards  ﾿ 12

2.7 ﾿ Requirements for Quality Drinking Water  ﾿ 13

2.7 ﾿ Water Pollution  ﾿ 14

2.8 ﾿ Factors Influencing Quality of Stream Water ﾿ 15

2.8.1 ﾿ Dissolved Oxygen ﾿ 17

2.8.2 ﾿ Nitrate ﾿ 17

2.8.3 ﾿ Phosphorous ﾿ 18

2.8.4 ﾿ Bacteria  ﾿ 18

2.8.5 ﾿ pH  ﾿ 19

2.8.6 ﾿ Turbidity ﾿ 19

2.8.6 ﾿ Temperature ﾿ 20

2.8.7 ﾿ Salinity ﾿ 21

2.8.8 ﾿ Flow rate ﾿ 21

CHAPTER THREE

3.0    Materials and Methods ﾿ 22

3.1 ﾿ Study Area ﾿ 22

3.2 ﾿ Collection of Water Samples ﾿ 22

3.3 ﾿ Sterilization ﾿ 23

3.4 ﾿ Assessment of Physico-Chemical Parameters ﾿ 23

3.5 ﾿ Microbiological Tests  ﾿ 24

3.5.1 ﾿ Media used and their preparation  ﾿ 24

3.5.2 ﾿ Enumeration and Detection of Bacteria  ﾿ 24

3.6 Biochemical Tests and Identification of Microbial Isolates ﾿ 27

3.6.1 Gram Staining ﾿ 27

3.6.2 Motility Test ﾿ 27

3.6.3 Catalase Test ﾿ 28

3.6.4 Indole Test ﾿ 28

3.6.5 Starch hydrolysis test  ﾿ 28

3.7 Sugar Fermentation Test ﾿ 29

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0  Results ﾿ 30

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Discussion, Conclusion and Recommendations ﾿ 35

5.1 Discussion    ﾿ 35

5.2 Conclusion  ﾿ 38

5.3 Recommendations ﾿ 39

References 

LIST OF TABLES

Table ﾿ Title ﾿ Page

1 ﾿ Samples sources and their physical parameters  ﾿ 31

2 ﾿ Total bacterial and coliform counts of water samples ﾿ 32

3 ﾿ Morphological and biochemical characteristics of isolates ﾿ 33

4 ﾿ Percentage occurrence of microbial isolates from pipeborne water  ﾿ 34

and other sources