Studies on microbial quality of filtered water in households of a university community in Nigeria

Water samples from home filters in nine residential areas of a Nigerian university community were studied. The membrane filter technique was used to determine the total coliform and faecal coliform counts/100 ml of water. Most of the 100 samples studied were grossly contaminated with total coliform counts/100 ml ranging from 0-442, faecal coliform counts/100 ml, 0-216 and the total aerobic plate count per millilitre ranged from 3.0 X 10(3) to 1.9 X 10(9) c.f.u. The source (dams) of water, fitness of filter candles, frequency of cleaning candles and pH of water did not significantly (P greater than 0.05; chi2) affect the microbial quality of either filtered boiled or unboiled tap water. Escherichia coli type I was isolated from 17.9% of the faecal coliforms tested but from only 2.3% of total coliforms. Enterobacter aerogenes was most predominant (38.5%) amongst faecal coliforms isolated while Enterobacter cloacae was the most frequent (37.2%) of the total coliform isolates. The gross contamination of filtered water from all households sampled calls for an enlightenment of residents on the proper use of home water filters.