dc.description.abstract |
Water quality deterioration is a serious concern in many countries drinking water supply
systems, due to many interconnected physical, chemical, and bacteriological factors. The
problem is more severe in developing countries, like Ethiopia. The purpose of this study is to
assess the drinking water quality at different community water sources, at household level, and
at selected Healthcare facilities and schools in Dera Woreda, Amhara region, Ethiopia.
Physicochemical parameters were analyzed at in-situ and the bacteriological analysis carried out
in the laboratory. The study was conducted from June 2022 to march 2023. Two rounds of water
samples were taken in dry and wet seasons from each sample site. In wet season a total of
(n=128) water samples were collected from 24 kebeles and (n=34) water samples from public
institutions and (n=229) household samples, while in dry season we collected (n=101) water
samples from 18 selected kebeles and (n=27) water samples from 45 selected schools, health
care facility and (n=177) household samples. Water source samples were collected from
improved (47.4%), unimproved (43.9%) and surface (8.7%) sources. The physicochemical and
bacteriological data was analyzed using SPSS version 26, and the Pearson correlation and
analysis of variance (Kruskal–Willi’s test), except temperature and E. coli all parameters were
statistically significant difference among sampling points, while only pH and turbidity was
statistically significant among sampling season(p<0.05). The result showed that except pH,
turbidity, temperature and free residual chlorine other selected physicochemical parameters
were found within the acceptable limit of WHO and Ethiopian standards in both seasons, but the
bacteriological test results revealed that majority of samples were above the WHO standards.
Most ground water samples had lower pH, more than 95% water points had detectable E. coli,
75% had high risk. Household samples had similar level of E. coli with community water points,
household samples from improved source had safer than those collected from unimproved
source; however, the majority of households had water from an unimproved source. Households
with low level of income had high E. coli detectable samples. Most households stored water
safely in covered containers with narrow openings. The provision of additional improved
sources was recommended to prevent this.
Keywords: Water quality, physicochemical and bacteriological parameter, Household storage,
Wealth index, Risk assessment, Dera woreda. |
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