Physical and Bacteriological Quality of Selected Water Sources in Wakiso District, Uganda

Poor water quality continues to pose a serious threat to human health, and is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in low income countries. The objective of the study was to assess the physical and bacteriological quality of selected water sources in Wakiso district, Uganda. Water samples were collected from 16 purposively selected water sources in 8 villages and analysed for pH, turbidity and selected bacteria (total coliforms and E. coli). Membrane filtration method was used for bacteriological analysis while portable meters were employed for pH and turbidity. During sample collection, physical inspection of the water sources was carried out to identify any potential risk factors for water source contamination. The majority of water sources, 14 (87.5%) were contaminated bacteriologically as they had total coliforms and E. coli count above zero; and 12 (75%) of them had pH that was not within the national recommended standards. Turbidity of all the sources (100%) was below 5 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) although 4 sources (25%) had NTU above 0. From the physical inspection, it was observed that some protected springs had poor drainage of waste water which accumulated in the collection area thereby increasing the risk of contamination of water being collected. Environmental Health practitioners and other concerned authorities need to ensure communities treat their water before drinking such as by boiling. Local authorities should also improve drainage at water sources to reduce the risk of water contamination