Elucidating microbial pollution markers of drinking water in appiadu within the ashanti region of Ghana

Access to safe drinking water a major challenge affecting many countries in the world especially developing countries. The main objective of this study was to assess the quality of water supplied by Appiadu community water system; in Appiadu, a suburb in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana. Parameters analysed included pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, total hardness, total coliform, faecal coliform, faecal enterococci, total viable count, Escherichia coli and salmonella. In this study, a total of 60 water samples were collected from the main reservoir (tank) and 5 households in Appiadu from April to June, 2013. Assessment of the microbiological properties of the water samples showed that the mean figures for total coliform, faecal coliform, total viable count and faecal enterococci exceeded the permissible limits of the World Health Organization/Ghana Standard Authority for drinking water. E. coli and Salmonella were however absent in all the samples. The study also showed that the concentrations of all physico-chemical parameters in the drinking water samples were within the permissible limits of the WHO)/GSA. The presence of indicator organism in the water samples was an indication of a possible faecal contamination, which could pose a public health risk for consumers.