Abstract
The
result of microbial examination of four different water samples collected from
four different communities in Ishiagu viz Amaeze, Ngwogwo, Amagu and Obinagu
were investigated in microbiology/pathology laboratories, Department of Science
Laboratory Technology, Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu. The analysis
was done according to standard methods of water examination and as reported in
WHO guide limit for water used for domestic purposes. The investigation
revealed that the wells examined were highly contaminated with bacteria. The
bacterial isolates associated with the samples were members of the
heterotrophic bacteria, coliform and feacal coliform bacteria. The
contamination of all wells could be due to improper construction of wells,
refuse dumping sites and various human activities around the wells. Water
generally from these wells is not safe for domestic purposes except some form
of treatment is carried out.
CHAPTER
ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Water is vital for all living
organisms to survive and for the functioning of ecosystem, communities and
economics worldwide. It is essential and indispensible for all human activities
and for all forms of life. Preserving assessment is important for domestic
purposes and for maintaining living systems, ecological and recreational use
among others.
In many parts of Ishiagu Ivo in Ebonyi state pipe water supply
is either unavailable or irregular especially in the small sized communities
and towns; the supply of water for domestic purposes has several accompanying
inadequacies.
According to clansen (2007) reasons
given for these inadequacies include enormous socio economic rate of
development, a growing industrial base poor planning, insufficient funding,
haphazard implementation of programs, lack of maintenance culture as well as
technically deficient personnel.
According to WHO (2006) about 1.1
billion of people lack access to improve drinking water supply, in most cities,
towns and villages in Nigeria. Valuable man hours are spent on seeking and
fetching water.
The assessment of water quality in dug
wells is essential because these are more often the main sources of water for
human consumption in Ishiagu Ivo Ebonyi State. The well being of people is
dependent on the quality of water which they ingest or otherwise make use of .
It has become imperative to assess the quality of the water supply from these
dug wells and identify the various sources of contaminants in other to
ascertain the contamination problems that may confront the consumers (Gupta,
2009).
Ishiagu Ivo Ebonyi State is a densely
populated city in south eastern area of Nigeria. The high population density,
poor sanitation habits and lack of enforcement of environmental sanitation laws
pollution of water sources. Parameters for water quality typically fall under
three categories namely physical, chemical and microbiological. Physical
quality involves such parameters as odour and colour (Saba and Baba 2004).
Chemical parameters include PH, total solids, nitrates, suiphates, chlorides
hardness and metals generally as well as some other elements. Microbiological
parameters include coli form bacteria, streptocci, E. coli and parasites.
Pollutants in ground water can be from various sources mainly municipal (i.e
leakages from liquid waste and solid waste from land fill) industrial (i.e
liquid waste tanks and pipeline leakages, oil and agricultural sources (i.e
irrigation return flow sometimes saline). These problem of acute water supply
have resulted in the rapid increase or hand dug wells with some located within
the proximity of soak away and pit latrines.
The assessment of underground well
water resources depends on the management of human waste as well as the natural
physical, chemical characteristics of the catchments areas (Efe et al,
2005).Also depending on the geology of an area. Underground waters are
typically rich in dissolved solids especially carbonates and sulphates calcium
and magnesium other ions are chlorides and bicarbonates (Wikipedia, 2010).
Hence it is necessary to obtain physic-chemical characteristics of the ground
water so as to compare and monitor water quality and to determine the type of
treatment that may be required before use.
Underground well water represents an
important source of water for domestic purposes and constitutes the largest
source of dug well water (Ogedengbe K. 2004). Water from these shallow and deep
wells is often of better quality than surface open source. If the soil is fine
grained and its bed rocks do not have cracks crevices and bedding plants which
permit the free passage of polluted water (Adebayo A.A 2002).
Generally, underground water (well) is
from shallow aquifers which makes it more susceptible to microbial pollution
(Kessel C.V. (2008).
1.1 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEMS
Underground water (well) is
increasingly used for domestic purposes yet testing to see whether the water is
of microbial assessed is almost non-existent. Although, it is true that soil
generally function to reduce the effect of micro-organisms by a simple
filtration mechanism especially large bacteria and protozoa, pollution of
underground water (well) by micro-organisms especially located near spectic
tanks or landfills significantly do occur.
1.2 JUSTIFICATION
OF THE WORK
It has already been known that water
constitutes the 80% (percent) of tiring components or organisms, most of the
infection and disease that troubles mankind emanates from water. Hence
micro-organism plays undoutable roles in contaminating the water and its
environs. The assessment and identification of the microbe that contaminates
our well water was deemed necessary aiming at provision of portable water for
human use.
1.3 OBJECTIVE
OF THE STUDY
·
To determine the level of
micro-organisms in the well water at Ishiagu.
·
To determine the quality of well water
use for domestic purposes at Ishiagu.