Microbiological quality of water samples obtained from water sources in Ishaka, Uganda.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of water sources in Ishaka division, Bushenyi district.

METHODS

Water from taps, wells and springs were sampled for the cross-sectional investigation. The enumeration and identification of microbes ( and total coliforms) in water samples were carried out using a variety of methods. was enumerated using the membrane filtration method; and using a two-step enrichment method; using the surface spread method and total coliforms using the most probable number technique. Mannitol salt agar was used for enumeration of and violet red bile agar was used for enumeration of total coliforms and ; xylose lysine deoxycholate agar was used for both spp. and spp. API-20E was used to phenotypically identify the Enterobacteriaceae contaminants in water. These included spp. and .

RESULTS

counts in the water from springs and wells ranged from 0 to 314 cfu/mL ( = 0.173) and 0 to 3 cfu/mL ( = 0.269), respectively, while tap water had no incidence of . Highest level of bacterial contamination in water sources, beyond acceptable WHO (0 cfu/100 mL) limits for drinking water, was reported: spp., 34 (54.8%), followed by total coliforms, 24 (38.7%), spp., 22 (35.5%) and least were spp. (8.1%) and spp. (8.1%).

CONCLUSION

It is therefore concluded that spring and well community water sources in Ishaka division, Uganda, are significantly contaminated with pathogenic bacteria and thus unsafe for drinking without adequate water treatment (disinfection and filtration).