Sule A. M., Hammuel C., Raplong H. H., Idio U. I., Abe A. S., Mohammed H. A. and Otori M. O.
This study examined the bacteriological quality of hand-dug well water from five selected areas in Zaria, Nigeria considering the popularity of hand-dug well water as a source of domestic water supply in most homes across the metropolis. The total heterotrophic bacterial (THB) counts of well water samples obtained during the dry season ranged from 1.4 × 103 to 2.7 × 104 CFU per ml while the THB of well water samples obtained during the rainy season ranged from 3.1 × 103 to 1.1 × 105 CFU per ml. Coliform count ranged from 350 to 2400 MPN per 100 ml for well water samples obtained during both the wet and dry seasons. The result of the study revealed that water from all the wells under study did not meet minimum permissible THB standard (100CFU/ml) and total coliform standards (10/100 ml) set aside by the world health organization (WHO) and therefore not safe for drinking or for other domestic purposes. Extraction and use of such water without some forms of physical and chemical treatment poses serious risk to public health. It was also discovered that the level of contamination was higher in rainy season when compared to dry season, a wide spatial variation was also observed.
