Microbial potability of bottled and packaged drinking waters hawked in Ilorin metropolis

Eighty-one samples comprising eleven brands of bottled 'spring' water and 70 of drinking water packaged and hawked in cellophane bags in Ilorin metropolis were investigated for their microbial potability. Forty per cent of the hawked water did not meet drinking quality standards. Pseudomonas was most frequently recovered as a contaminant of packaged waters. In view of the expanding nature of this informal sector of drinking water supply, it is recommended that it should be institutionalised as a means of ensuring the quality of waters sold commercially. It is proposed that Pseudomonas be included as an added indicator for determining their safety standard.