Microbial and Physico-Chemical Analysis of Water from Boreholes in Mosimi and Environs, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the microbiological quality of borehole water in Mosimi area in Ogun state. Microbiological and physic-chemical analyses of eleven boreholes in the area were determined and mean standard error was used to compare the results obtained. The study was carried out within a period of 3 months. Microbiological and physico-chemical analyses were carried out on water samples from eleven boreholes in Mosimi and environs in Ogun State, Nigeria. Membrane Filtration Method was used for the determination of Total Plate Count, Total Coliform Count and E. coli Count. Microbes identified include Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, Citrobacter sp, Pseudomonas sp, Micrococcus sp, Bacillus sp, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella sp. The Total Plate Count ranged from 0 cfu/ml to 102 x 102 cfu/ml. The Total Coliform Count ranged from 0 cfu/ml – 15 x 102 cfu/ml, while the E. coli count ranged from 0 cfu/ml – 5 x 102 cfu/ml, some of which are above the WHO and the Nigerian Standard for Drinking Water Quality; analysis of variance was carried out for the microbial analysis using SPSS 16.0. The physico-chemical analysis showed that all the parameters were within the WHO limits except for pH which ranged from 5.7 – 8.0. Water samples from four of the boreholes were faecally contaminated but there was no chemical contamination of the ground water. There is the need for treatment of the boreholes water samples especially the contaminated samples to make the water potable.