CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Following the theory of creation, it is clear that water is as old as man.
From time immemorial, man has restorted to the use of this unique
commodity for domestic and other purposes.
Most of our water supplies are from surface water which include: rivers,
streams, lakes, oceans and seas and there water bodies are likely to be
polluted with domestic and Industrial as well as agriculture waste, As
populations increase, the problem become more serious and as such,
water can endanger the health and life of human beings because when
polluted by fecal materials it becomes potential carrier of pathogenic
organism (Carpenter, 1977).
Water, is of course, absolutely essential to life, not only human life but all
life, animal and vegetable. Most of the biochemical reaction that occur in
metabolism and growth of living cells involved water, and all take places
in water. (Camp et al,1974).
Man uses water not only for drinking purposes but also for bathing,
washing, laundering, heating, air conditioning, agriculture, stock raising
and gardens, Industrial processes and cooling water power and steam
8
power, fire protection, fishing, swimming and wild life propagation and
navigation.
Natural water contain not only then natural flora but also micro –
organisms from soil and possible from animals or sewage. Surface waters
in streams or pools and stored waters in lakes and large ponds vary
considerably in microbial content. (frazier, 1978) water is broadly divided
into three types viz., surface water which include: streams, rivers, lakes
seas, and oceans (Kelman et al, 1957).
The ground water, well, bore hole, many people have defined the ground
water in different ways: ground water is non saturated water that occurs
where all pores in the soil or rock counting materials are saturated
(pelezer et al, 1992).
The atmospheric water, which include rainfalls. All water bodies consist
of a variety of bacterial and other microorganisms like the Algaes, fungi,
which inhabit these natural water bodies. Some of these micro –
organisms are indigenous to thus natural water while others are transient,
entering the water from external environment (Pelezar and Reg, 1997).
The generality of bacteria are mostly commonly found ordinarily in fresh
water some of which include: pseudomonas, Archacbacter, and vibrio
these are gram negative, the gram-positive bacterial which are found in
9
water include: micrococcus Archacbacter and actinomycetes (Gebharal,
1975). Tap water, as one of the water sources is mostly used
domestically, it is observed that tap change sometime the water tap will
be clear this calls for load, in order to be sure of its portability (Bonde,
1977).
The increase in drinking water from different sources especially in Enugu
state has made necessary to investigate the microbial content of water.
Water is a potential carried of pathogenic organisms that can endanger
human life. Most of drinking water sources are often contaminated with
different pollutants like faeces, animal and plant wastes, making such
water unfit for drinking if not treated. The pollution of water with
pathogenic organisms and other pollutants can only be detected by
carrying out microbiological assessment of such water. Most human
disease such as typhoid paratyphoid cholera, amobiasis, Trichinosis,
gastroenteritis, salmonella shigellosis, diphtheria, giadia, dracunculus etc
are known to be water borne disease. (Ewington et al, 1971).
Water born disease are those disease which have water as their vehicle of
transmission these disease are capable of destroying a whole community
if not checked. Therefore, the quickest ways to prevent out break of these
disease and to determine the portability of such water sources is to
10
determine the microbial load or content if the microbial content is nor
within acceptable limit, such water sources should be condemned
immediately (Fair et al, 1970).
1.1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVE
I. To find out if well, stream, Tap water coutain pathogens.
II. To help the public to know the danger of drinking these water
without adequate treatment.
III. To compare the microbial load of the water source and advice on
safer source of water .
1.2. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
These source of water are contaminated through one way or the other
(i) The short falls in the distribution of treated pipe borne water leads
people to resort to alternative source of water which may be unfit for
human consumption
(ii) Tap water can be polluted through leakage’s/ improper
plumbing.
(iii) Well water is contaminated as a result of running off into it,
especially shallow well.
11
(iv) Streams can be contaminated through waste from industries,
leaves, dust, and rain run often.
1.3. SIGNIFICANTS OF STUDY
1) The study will advice on water meet the standard quality required for
any particular purpose
2) Also advice the eswc on quality of their product. For future nature
modification of treatment methods
1.4. LIMITATION
Fewer sample were worked on because of lack of fund, the survey is
however limited to the bacteria flora of waters, and not all organisms
even on bacterial flora specification, the number of sample culture were
limited by lack of funds and culture media is expensive.
