Assessment of bacteriological quality and physico-chemical parameters of domestic water sources in relation to human health risk in Kigamboni, Tanzania

Abstract

Data on bacteriological quality and physico-chemical parameters is crucial for protection and sustainable utilization of water resources. This study determined bacteriological quality and physico-chemical parameters of well and tap water sources in relation to human health risk in Kigamboni, Tanzania. Thirty water samples were collected randomly and analyzed using SPSS software. The mean values for well water samples of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, Chloride, Sulphate, Nitrate, Phosphate, and Calcium Carbonate were 7.2, 960.27 mg/L, 528.13 mg/L, 1.52 NTU, 288.00 mg/L, 30.13 mg/L, 0.05 mg/L, 0.08 mg/L, and 160.07 mg/L, respectively. The mean values for tap water samples of pH, EC, TDS, turbidity, Chloride, Sulphate, Nitrate, Phosphate, Calcium Carbonate were 7.34, 954.40 mg/L, 522.47 mg/L, 1.71 NTU, 294.40 mg/L, 37.93 mg/L, 1.85 mg/L, 0.07 mg/L, and 127.33 mg/L, respectively. Bacteriological assessment of well water samples showed that 3 (20%) of the samples were contaminated with coliform bacteria, while 2 (13.3%) with Escherichia coli, no coliform or E. coli was found in any tap water samples. This study indicated that well water samples were of poor quality, which could raise the risk of waterborne diseases for consumers. The study recommends regular water testing and monitoring its quality.