European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

BACTERIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICO CHEMICAL QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER FROM HAND DUG-WELL IN ADIGRAT TOWN, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

Zenebu Haile1, Alembrhan Assefa1 and Shilashi Badasa*

ABSTRACT

Lack of potable water has become a critical and urgent problem in many developing countries including Ethiopia. A study was conducted to assess the bacteriological and physico-chemical quality of water from hand-dug wells of Adigrat town. Four water samples were collected from four main hand-dug wells within the town between February and May 2014 and analyzed for bacteriological and physico - chemical characteristics. Macconkey and plate count agars were used for development of enterobacteriaceae and aerobic mesophilic bacteria, respectively. Water analysis revealed the presence of two types of pathogenic bacteria including enterobacteriaceae and aerobic mesophilic bacteria. The total aerobic mesophilic bacterial count of the samples analyzed was 4.3x104 CFU/ml and the mean count was 1.075x104 CFU/ml. The total count of Enterobacteriaceae was (156000 CFU/ml) and the mean count of Enterobacteriaceae was 3. 9 x 10 4. Temperature and pH levels were above WHO acceptable levels for drinking water in almost samples. Almost all samples tested did not meet the WHO bacteriological standards for drinking water. The presence of enterobacteriaceae and aerobic mesophilic bacteria should particularly raise serious public health concerns over the quality of the town’s hand-wells water. Therefore, intervention measures including creating awareness and educating residents on hand-dung well construction, care, boiling of water and improving sanitation should be urgently instituted.

Keywords: Adigrat town, bacteriological, hand dug-well, physicochemical, water quality, Ethiopia.