TITLE:
Bacteriological Analysis of Well Water Sources in the Bambui Student Residential Area
AUTHORS:
Niba Rawlings Ngwa, Nchang Chrysanthus
KEYWORDS:
Well Water; Bacteriological Analysis; Bacterial Pathogens; Water Borne; Disease
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.5 No.11,
November
5,
2013
ABSTRACT: Majority of the population in the Bambui student residential area depend on wells as their source of water supply. Due to increasing
complaints from students after using this well water sources, this study was
carried out to examine the microbial quality of well water sources in
the Bambui student residential area,
Bamenda, Cameroon as a way of safe guarding public health against water borne
diseases. Water samples from a total of fifteen wells, covered and uncovered were assessed for their bacteriological
quality using the multiple tube fermentation technique to determine the
coliform count using the most probable number method. Positive tubes of the
presumptive test were further cultured on appropriate solid media. The
organisms isolated were further characterized using standard procedures. The
result of the study revealed that most of the wells were grossly contaminated
with bacteria pathogens such as Klebsiella species (95%), Escherichia
coli (52%) and Salmonella typhi (32.5%). Comparatively, the
uncovered wells were more contaminated with bacteria pathogens than the covered
well. All the water samples except three exceeded the standard limit of the
most probable number (MPN) per 100 ml set for untreated drinking water by the World
Health Organization. This result
highlight the fact that most well water sources in the Bambui student
residential area metropolis are not
safe microbiologically for drinking without additional treatment such as
boiling or disinfection and this could lead to outbreak of water borne
diseases. Good and proper environmental and personal hygiene must be maintained
especially by the users of these wells to prevent their contamination with
bacterial pathogens. Wells should also be properly constructed.