A Comparative Study of Drinking Water Sources and Their Bacteriological Quality in Entebbe Municipality, Uganda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t5458Abstract
Safe drinking water is essential to public health; however, microbiological contamination remains a concern in urban and peri-urban settings. Residents of Entebbe Municipality rely on multiple drinking-water sources, yet comparative local evidence on their bacteriological quality remains limited. To compare the bacteriological quality of drinking-water sources in Entebbe Municipality by determining the presence and concentrations of Escherichia coli and total coliforms and assessing compliance with the bacteriological requirements of WHO and the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS). A cross-sectional, analytical, laboratory-based study assessed 133 water samples from boreholes, piped water, rainwater, springs and surface water. Samples were collected in sterile 500 mL bottles, transported under cold-chain conditions and analyzed using membrane filtration. A 100 mL aliquot of each sample was filtered through a 0.45 µm membrane, after which the membrane was cultured on blood agar and MacConkey agar. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Pearson’s chi-square test assessed associations between water-source type and categorical contamination and compliance outcomes, while the Kruskal–Wallis H test compared bacterial concentrations across source types. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The study found of the 133 samples, 106 (79.7%) showed no bacterial growth, while 27 (20.3%) were positive for E. coli and/or total coliforms. Surface and spring water had the highest proportions of contamination (40.0% each), followed by rainwater (11.1%), borehole water (4.0%) and piped water (3.8%). Bacterial concentrations ranged from 0 to 4,100 CFU/100 mL, with a mean of 300.33 CFU/100 mL (SD = 897.551). Compliance was highest for piped water (96.2%) and borehole water (96.0%), followed by rainwater (88.9%); spring and surface water had the lowest compliance (60.0% each). Water-source type was significantly associated with contamination (χ² = 23.057, df = 4, p < 0.001), and bacterial concentrations differed significantly among source types (p < 0.001). The study concludes that bacteriological quality differed significantly by water-source type. Spring and surface water were the most vulnerable sources, whereas piped and borehole water exhibited better bacteriological quality. Strengthened surveillance, source protection, household water treatment and improved sanitation are therefore warranted, especially for spring and surface-water sources.
Keywords: Drinking water; Escherichia coli; total coliforms; bacteriological quality; Entebbe; Uganda; water safety.
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