BACTERIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF BOREHOLE WATER IN ENUGWU-UKWU NJIKOKA L.G.A, ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

In the present study, the microbial; quality of several boreholes at Enugwu-Ukwu were assessed to determine their safety for human consumption. Water is a precious natural resources, vital for sustaining all life on the earth. It has been estimated that two third of human body is constituted of water. Water is absolutely essential not only for survival of human being but also for animals, plants and all other living things. Pour plate method and multiple tube fermentation methods were used to determine heterotrophic bacterial viable counts and coliform bacterial counts respectively, while standard culture methods were used for bacteria isolation. Portable water is an essential ingredient for good health and the socio-economic development of man. Borehole water serves as the major source of drinking water in the local population of Nigeria, since only very few can afford and rely on purified and treated bottled water for consumption. Borehole bacteriology is affected from many factors such as movement through the rocks, recycling by irrigation practices, natural or artificial recharge and discharge. As a result of these processes there appear temporal and spatial changes in the bacteria composition.