ABSTRACT
Boreholes (ground water) are the major source of water supplies in hostels, where well stationed taps are used as outlets. The water supplied is used by students and workers in that vicinity for various purposes such as drinking, bathing, cooking and washing, etc. This study aimed at assessing the microbiological and physico-chemical quality of borehole water from postgraduate hostels of the University of Benin in Ugbowo and Ekenwan campuses. Isolation and enumeration of bacterial and fungal isolates were carried out using standard microbiological methods. Isolated bacteria and fungi were characterized using morphological, cultural and biochemical tests. Physico-chemical parameters of water samples were assessed using standard methods. The mean heterotrophic bacterial count ranged from 3.467×102 cfu/ml to 11.367 ×102 cfu/ml, the mean coliform count ranged from 0.80×102 cfu/ml to 5.00×102 cfu/ml, the mean fungal count ranged from 0.80×102 sfu/ml to 9.40×102 sfu/ml. The bacteria species isolated were: Bacillus sp, Shigella sp, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Results from the antibiotic susceptibility test showed that Escherichia coli was susceptible to all antibiotics tested except augumentin, Shigella was resistant to Sparfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin, Chloranphenicol and Amoxacillin but susceptible to Gentamycin, Pefloxacin, Tarivid and Streptomycin. Bacillus sp III was resistant to none of the antibiotic tested, Bacillus sp II was susceptible to all antibiotics except Chloranphenicol, Septrin, Amoxacillin and Augumentin, Bacillus sp I was susceptible to most of the antibiotics tested except Septrin, Chloranphenicol, Amoxacillin, Gentamycin and Streptomycin. Bacillus sp I, Bacillus sp II and Shigella sp which were initially resistant to 5, 4 and 4 antibiotics respectively after curing, were all susceptible to all the antibiotics tested. The parameters tested were temperature, Total Dissolved Solids(TDS), pH, Electrical Conductivity(EC), Biological Oxygen Demand(BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand(COD), Disssolved Oxygen(DO), acidity, alkality, nitrate, copper, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphate, hardness and chloride. They all had a mean value of 29.67℃ and 29.43℃, 103ppm and 40.67ppm, 7.67 and 7.87, 204µs/cm and 84.33µs/cm, 22.22mg/l and 61.61mg/l, 0.09mg/l and 0.04mg/l, 27.97mg/l and 25.73mg/l, 0.10mg/l and 0.012mg/l, 0.14mg/l and 0.087mg/l, 0.25mg/l and 0.093mg/l, 4.37mg/l and 3.097mg/l, 0.84mg/l and 0.53mg/l, 0.17mg/l and 0.061mg/l, 17.87mg/l and 11mg/l, 136.97mg/l and 70.23mg/l respectively for Ugbowo and Ekenwan campuses. The above data showed that although all the physico-chemical parameters met all the guidelines of WHO standard, it still remains unsafe for consumption due to the high bacterial counts and the presence of coliform, which is an indicator of the presence of some harmful organisms that would threaten the health of students and workers who consumes this water. Hence proper measures should be taken to improve the quality of the water.
