Investigation of Water Quality and Bacterial Community Structure in a Rural Geothermal Spring: Ucler Hill, Kars, Türkiye

This study was carried out to evaluate the chemical and microbiological properties of a natural water source located in Azat Village of Kars province and used as drinking water by the surrounding villagers. Water samples taken from three different sampling points were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, total hardness, alkalinity, nitrogenous compounds (NO₂-, NO₃-, NH₄⁺), metal contents (Fe, Cu, Al, Pb), sulfate and chloride levels. The data obtained were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water standards and one-sample t-test was applied for each parameter. Statistically significant differences were found in total hardness, NO₃-, Fe, Cu, SO₄²- and Cl- parameters (p < 0.05), while other parameters were found to be compatible with WHO reference values. In microbiological analyses, a total of eight different bacterial species were isolated by culture-dependent methods. These species were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis and all of them were determined to be non-pathogenic environmental microorganisms. The identified species included Microbacterium spp., Bacillus spp., Corynebacterium spp., Lactobacillus spp., Rhodococcus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Leuconostoc spp. and Aeromonas spp. Although some species have the potential to be opportunistic pathogens, the overall microbiological profile was considered to be within acceptable limits for natural sources.