FAECAL CONTAMINATION OF DRINKING WATER SOURCES IN CHANCHAGA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, MINNA AND ITS PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

Water is the most essential renewable natural resource needed by every living thing. Bacteriological and physicochemical studies of eighty (80) samples from four (4) sources of drinking water (tap, well, borehole and sachet water) from Chanchaga Local Government Area, Minna, Niger State, Nigeria was carried out. Membrane filtration technique, cultural and biochemical tests were used for bacteriological examination while the methods described by the American Public Health Association (APHA) were used for the physicochemical analysis. One- way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze all the data. Enumeration of total coliforms, thermotolerant coliforms and Escherichia coli were used as indices for determining potability of the water samples while Singleplex polymerase chain reaction technique was used to investigate for specific virulent genes in pathogenic Escherichia coli strain. Results revealed that bacteriological counts of most samples were above the limits specified by World Health Organization and Nigerian Standards for Drinking Water Quality. Well water had total coliform counts ranging from 03-360 cfu/mL, sachet water had coliform counts that ranged from 01-15cfu/mL The total coliform counts from borehole and tap water ranged from 03-26 and 03-107cfu/mL respectively. The thermotolerant coliforms identified were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. The mean pH, total dissolved solid, turbidity and total suspended solid of the well water showed significant difference (p<0.05) between sachet water and borehole water. Identification of the virulent gene using Singleplex PCR technique revealed the presence of eaeA gene from pathogenic Escherichia coli isolated from the drinking water sample. The presence of faecal coliforms in the drinking water samples in the study area is a cause for public health concerns and that indicated that the government needs to redouble her effort and intensify the present reforms on water and sanitation. However, regular surveillance of drinking water sources should help prevent contamination of water