Microbial Assessment of Water Quality from Hand-Dug Wells in Makurdi Nigeria

Abstract

Hand –dug wells are a major source of water for rural dwellers in Nigeria and such, the assessment of water quality from these sources is expedient. This paper examines the microbial contamination from hand-dug wells in Makurdi. A total of eight wells were selected for sampling in the study. Two wells each from Kighir, Adeke, Tionsha and Tyodura all in Makurdi metropolis. To ascertain the microbiological characteristics of the wells under study, both presumptive and differential tests were conducted. The presumptive tests gave the Most Probable Numbers (MPN) per 100 ml of samples. And the differential tests indicated the actual microorganisms present in the individual wells. Results showed that the total coliforms per 100 ml of sample from the various sampling points ranged between 43 to 425 MPN, with Kighir A registering the lowest MPN (of 43 coliforms per 100ml) and AdekeA registering the highest value (of 425 MPN). Overall, findings revealed that hand dug wells yield water of very poor quality microbiologically. All of the wells sampled failed to meet the zero coliform per 100 ml set by WHO. The results from this study clearly demonstrate that the water qualities obtained from hand dug wells are unfit for human consumption.