COMPARATIVE STUDY OF WATER QUALITY ACROSS DIFFERENT SOURCES AND ITS CORRELATION WITH COLIFORM BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION IN SOKOTO SOUTH METROPOLIS, SOKOTO STATE

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the bacteriological quality of well water, tap water, borehole water, and river water in Sokoto Metropolis, Nigeria, with a focus on total viable bacterial counts and total coliform counts. A total of 20 water samples were analyzed using the Most Probable Number (MPN) method and colony-forming units (CFU/ml) metrics. The results indicated that river and tap water sources had significantly higher levels of microbial contamination, with river water reaching 9 x 10^4 CFU/ml and a total coliform count of 70 MPN/100 ml. Statistical analysis, specifically the Kruskal-Wallis test, revealed significant differences in contamination levels among the various sources. These findings underscore the urgent need for improved water quality management and public health strategies to mitigate the risks of waterborne diseases in the region.