Özet:

ABSTRACT Ground water is an important source of water for domestic use, especially in developing countries such as Nigeria. Groundwater is generally very clean but can become polluted with nutrients and toxic chemicals when surface water carrying these substances drains into the groundwater environment. This study assessed the microbial quality of water (hand-pumped boreholes) at six areas in Malete environs. Water samples were collected in triplicates and subjected to physicochemical (temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity, salinity and hardness), microbiological (heterotrophic and coliform counts) and molecular analysis using standard methods. The temperature generally ranged from 26.45±0.20 to 29.3±0.19 ºC, pH ranged between 7.6 ± 0.00 and 8.2 ± 0.012. Turbidity was generally <5 NTU, conductivity was <250µS/cm and hardness was <150 mg/L. The values were within acceptable range stated by World Health Oganization (WHO) and the National Standard for Drinking Water Quality (NSDWQ). Escherichia coli, Stapylococus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Klebsiella oxytoca were found in some water samples. Faecal coliform was found in 83.3% of the hand-pumped boreholes, these high prevalence of contaminated water is attributable to the largely contaminated environments around some of the wells which was littered with various forms of refuse. Public awareness on the dangers associated with the construction of hand-pumped boreholes at a distance less than 15 meters away from the septic tank should be increased. Also hand-pumped boreholes water samples that do not meet the standard should be treated before consumption.

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