Quality Determination of Pipe-Borne Water in Sokoto Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

The quality of the pipe-borne water supplied to Sokoto metropolis was determined in this study. The total bacterial count was carried out using surface plating method of inoculation. The coliforms were enumerated using multiple tube fermentation technique (Most Probable Number Method). Some physicochemical parameters were also analyzed. The study confirmed that the bacterial load the municipal water samples ranged from 2x10³ – 4.6x104 cfu/ml. Out of the 50 sample analyzed, 27 showed zero coliform count, while 23 were positive for coliform test and ranged from 3-30 coliforms per 100 ml of water. The pH of the water was slightly acidic (5.1). Four genera of coliforms were identified and E. coli, E. aerogenes, Citrobacter and Klebsiella spp. This study suggests that the appropriate authorities should improve the quality of the municipal pipe-borne water supply by regular monitoring of its bacterial load and coliform counts.

Keywords:Water quality, coliforms, bacterial load, Nigeria

International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences, 5(3): 213-216, 2009