| dc.description.abstract | Quality of drinking water is very vital to public health. Diarrhea can be caused by poor hygiene practices, inadequate sanitary action and unsafe drinking water. Globally, 1,000 children die annually due to controllable sanitation - related diarrhea diseases. Furthermore, Africa has been classified as the leading continent in cholera disease due to lack of access to safe clean water and basic sanitation. Kenya is a water scarce country leading to drilling of many boreholes in the country. Almost all the households in Ekalakala ward in Machakos County used borehole water for various activities. This study aimed to determine microbial quality of borehole water and proximity to pit latrines in Ekalakala ward, Machakos County. Mixed methods research design was adopted. The total coliforms were determined using plate count enumeration. The most probable number (MPN) method was used to identify faecal coliforms (Escherichia. coli). Other targeted organisms included Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella spp and were isolated using thiosulfate citrate bile salts and deoxycholate citrate agar respectively. Biochemical test was done on the three microorganisms using the following tests, triple sugar iron, sulphide indole motility, urease test, Simon’s citrate and motility indole urease. The results from coliform forming units indicated high number of bacteria coliforms at 171.3 CFU/100 ml of water. MPN showed that most of the samples were contaminated with faecal coliforms with a mean value of 171.3 MPN/100 ml of water. The results from biochemical tests confirmed the presence of 55% Escherichia coli, 40% Salmonella spp and 55% Vibrio cholerae in both borehole and household water samples. The proximity of boreholes to pit latrines was assessed using a checklist and confirmed that there was moderate positive correlation of (r) = 0.45. Borehole water in Ekalakala ward was contaminated with bacterial coliforms, faecal coliforms and pit latrine proximity was not a big threat to microbial borehole water contamination. Water treatment before use in addition to, education on proper water storage methods by community of health providers should be emphasized. | en_US |
