Microbiological assessment of the quality of domestic water consumed in Southern Edo State, Nigeria

Water is a critical global resource, its quality paramount for our health. This study evaluated domestic water quality in southern Edo State, Nigeria. Samples (Rain, Bottled, Borehole) were gathered from five communities in Egor, Ikpoba-Okha, Ovia South-west, Orhionmwon, and Oredo LGAs. Parasitological, bacterial, and fungal analyses were conducted. The results showed that heterotrophic bacterial and fungal counts for borehole water collected were all within the WHO/NSCWQ standard for water quality while for feacal coliforms, highest counts (9x103- 15x103) cfu/ml were seen in borehole water samples collected in some communities in Egor Local Government Area and lowest in Ovia South-West Local Government area For rain water samples, heterotrophic bacterial and fungal counts were also within the standard limits used while faecal coliform counts were highest from samples collected from Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area ranging between (9x103-28x103)cfu/ml and lowest (4.00-18.00) x103cfu/ml counts were observed also in Orhionmwon Local Government Area. The heterotrophic bacteria, fungi and faecal coliform counts were all within WHO/NSCWQ standards for bottled water samples analyzed. Parasitic contamination was found in all samples (prevalence: 50.67%), including Ascaris species (25.45%), hookworm ova (36.36%), Giardia lambia cysts (14.54%), and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts (18.18%). Bacteria isolated included Staphylococcus aureus (36%, 48%, 40%), Enterobacter sp (20% 32%, 12%), Escherichia coli (35%, 40%, 15%), and Pseudomonas spp (36.0%, 32.0%, 13%) from borehole, rainwater, and bottled water, respectively. Contamination sources may include collection media, hygiene practices, and proximity to septic tanks. Stringent hygiene measures are imperative to mitigate pathogenic risks.