Drinking water quality assessment, the case of seka chekorsa Woreda jimma zone, south west ethiopia 2021

Abstract

Background: Quality and safe drinking water is a determinate factor affecting human health and the environment. The quality of drinking water has always been a major health concern, especially in developing countries, where 80 % of the disease cases are attributed to inadequate sanitation and the use of polluted sources of drinking water. This study aimed in assessing drinking water quality in Seka chokorsa woreda. Methods: A cross - sectional study was conducted in seka town and purposely selected rural kebele of the seka district on assessment of drinking water quality from March to July 2021. The study incorporate 364 households for assessing water handling practice by using a pretested structured questionnaire and 39 water samples were collected from 13 sampling points of protected spring, protected dug well, borehole water sources and tape water including point of reservoir and distribution line. The analyses of various physicochemical and bacteriological parameters were carried out following the standard method (APHA, 1998). The data was entered using Epi-data version 4.604 data entry software and data analysis was carried out by using SPSS version 23. Descriptive statistics, one way ANOVA were also performed. Result: The prevalence of faecal coliform contamination from water samples taken from drinking water sources and at sampling point of reservoir, distribution line and tap in seka woreda jimma zone was found high 12/13(92.3%) .The analyzed result for physicochemical parameters indicates, most of the parameters were within the level permissible limit set by WHO guideline and ESDWQ standards for drinking water, except for pH, turbidity, and temperature, manganese and iron ion concentration. In multivariable analysis construct latrine floor by wood had 3.56 times higher odds of faecal coliform contamination in drinking water sources (unsafe sources), [AOR: 3.56, 95% CI (1.167- 10.859)] than those construct latrine floor by concrete. Respondents these had latrine nearest to water sources or less than 100m 92% less likely get drinking water from safe water sources, [AOR: 0.08,95% CI (0.021- 0.331) than respondents had latrine far from water sources greater than 1000m. Conclusion: Generally, in this study, the prevalence of faecal coliform contamination from water samples taken from drinking water sources and at sampling point of reservoir, distribution line and tap in seka woreda jimma zone was found high 12/13 (92.3%). Physicochemical parameters for pH, turbidity and temperature, manganese and iron for some water sources were beyond the permissible range of WHO and ESDWQ standards. Therefore, the factors associated with drinking water quality problems were the materials from which latrine floor constructed and the distances between latrine to water sources were identified as factors which had significant association with presence of faecal coliform in drinking water sources with p – value less than 0.05(p < 0.05).