Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the bacteriological quality of drinking water sources in
District Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan.
METHODS: After approval from the Ethical Review Committee of Bahria
University Islamabad; this cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in
Rawalakot District from September 2017 to March 2018. Out of 90 samples,
45 samples (15 each from bore-well, open-well & spring water) were collected
in September & October 2017 as pre-rainfall season's samples and 45 samples
were collected in post-rainfall season of February & March 2018, exactly from
the same 45 sites from which pre-rainfall water samples were collected. All the
samples were analyzed for total bacterial, total coliforms, Escherichia Coli,
Shigella and Salmonella Species.
RESULTS: Overall bacterial growth on Nutrient Agar was more commonly
observed in samples from Bore-well (n=11/15; 73.33%) during pre-rainfall
season and in open-well samples (n=12/15; 80%) during post-rainfall season.
Total coliforms growth on MacConkey agar was more frequent in post- rainfall
season in samples from spring-water (n=9/15; 60%). On eosin methyl blue
agar, majority (n=5/15; 33.33%) of Escherichia Coli growth was observed
during post-rainfall season in spring water samples. Almost all of the post-rainfall
season samples revealed less number of Shigella and Salmonella species
compared to pre-rainfall water samples.
CONCLUSION: The post-rainfall season drinking water samples of bore
wells, open wells and spring water showed higher number of bacteriological
contaminations except Shigella and Salmonella species which were reduced in
post-rainfall samples of bore-wells and revealed equal numbers among openwells and spring water samples
