BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF WATER IN HALLS OF RESIDENCE IN UNIVERSITY OF BENIN

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to conduct a bacteriological analysis of the water in the halls of residence at the University of Benin, located in Edo State, Nigeria. The main objectives of the study were to measure the total bacterial count of the water samples, determine the coliform counts using the Most Probable Number method, and identify the different species of bacteria present in the water. The study focused on the five halls of residence at the University of Benin, located in Benin, Edo State. The halls consist of Hall 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and they are supplied with water from an overhead borehole tap. Sterile containers were used to collect water samples for analysis, and great care was taken to ensure that fair samples were obtained. To collect samples from rivers and wells, the bottles were filled below the water's surface to prevent sediment contamination. For tap water samples, the tap was allowed to run for approximately five minutes before collecting the sample. Water samples were collected from five different sources: borehole water samples from Hall 1, Hall 2, Hall 3, Hall 4, and Hall 5, respectively. The samples were primarily analysed for microbial and biochemical analysis. However, all samples were transported to the laboratory in an ice bag and processed within 6 hours of being collected. The media was prepared in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer. There were two types of agar used: nutrient agar (NA) and potato dextrose agar (PDA). The study's results revealed that the different water sources examined are contaminated with biological agents originating from both humans and animals. However, the quality of the two borehole waters and two rain waters is comparatively superior to that of the two well waters and two river waters. The high microbial load, especially in the Borehole water at Hall 1 and the two other Borehole waters, renders them unsuitable for drinking. However, they can still be used for washing purposes.