Detection and Antibiogram of Bacteriological Contaminants in Commonly Consumed Sachet Water in Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Potable water serves as an important source for primary prevention of diseases and the foundation for the prevention and control of water borne diseases. This study was conducted to determine the bacteriological quality of ten (10) brands of sachet water commonly consumed in Dutse urban, Jigawa state, Nigeria using Membrane Filtration Technique method for enumeration of both total coliform and fecal coliform counts. Eosin methylene blue, Salmonella Shigella and plate count media as well as membrane filters with 0.45µm pore size were used. Total bacterial counts for all the water samples were not within the recommended limits by regulatory bodies; Environmental Protection Agency, World Health Organization, and National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control. Results revealed that the sampled sachet water was contaminated with Klebsiella aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella paratyphi A, Shigella flexneri, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis and Streptococcus pyogenes. However, Ofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin revealed 100% potency against all the seven bacterial isolates while Augmentin have no effect (0%) on any of the bacterial isolates. Appropriate treatment processes should be utilized for the production of packaged water meant for human consumption. Again, drinking water regulatory bodies should be proactive in monitoring the adherence of drinking water manufacturers to regulated processing standards.

Keywords:   Sachet water; bacterial isolates; total coliform; faecal coliform; membrane filtration technique