1.1 Introduction
Production and sale of sachet water, popularly called “pure water” in Nigeria, is presently a lucrative business, therefore many people are involved in the production and marketing of the product. Water is one of the most important as well as one of the most abundant compound on earth, and is vital to the survival of any organism (Tortora et al., 2002).Water in nature is seldom totally pure. Rainfall is contaminated as it falls to earth (Ajewole, 2005). The combustion of fossil fuel put sulphur compounds as being responsible for pollution of rain water by precipitation (Edema et al., 2001).
However, water that moves below the ground surface undergoes natural filtration that removes most organisms. For this reason, water from springs and deep wells are generally of better quality than flowing water. Water related diseases continue to be one of the major health issue globally. The high prevalence of diarrhea among children and infants can be traced to the use of unsafe water and unhygienic practices (Omalu et al., 2010). The most dangerous form of water pollution occur when fecal contaminants like Escherichia coli enter the water supply and also through the fecal-oral routes of transmission. Microbial contaminants in water supply are the sources of many diseases such as typhoid fever, cholera, bacillary dysentery and so on.
Examples of such microbial contaminants are Salmonella spp., Shigella spp.,Vibrio cholerae, Escherichia coli (Edema et al.,2001; Tortora et al., 2002). Various opportunistic pathogens that occur naturally in the environment may cause disease in humans. Those who are at greater risk of infection are infants and young children, people whose immune system is suppressed, the sick and the elderly. In such individuals, drinking water containing large numbers of opportunistic pathogens can occasionally produce infections.
Examples of such opportunistic pathogens are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella spp., Areomonas spp., and certain slow growing Mycobacterium (WHO, 2001) in Nigeria, the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC) in association with the World Health Organization (WHO, 2001) has the responsibility of regulating the standard of drinking water. The agency has published guidelines for the production of sachet- packaged drinking water. Unfortunately most producers do not adhere to these guidelines (Onemano et al., 2003). Thus, this work is aimed at assessing the microbiological quality of sachet packaged water in three Local government areas in Ibadan.
1.2 Statement of Problem
Investigation revealed that there is challenges in setting up potable water supplies for communities have been a matter under discussion. Most cited reasons range from poor quality of borehole water, high seepage rates of water pans, and seasonality of streams (Hazra, 2013). Sustainability of existing water projects has also proved difficult owing to poor management systems. Worse enough, prevailing poor sanitation conditions pose the greatest threat to water points. Previous studies in both urban and rural areas have concluded that contamination from on-site sanitation is a principal cause of contamination of water sources (Howard et al., 2013).
1.3 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of this study is to evaluate the sterility of sachet water sold in owerri, particularly in Imo State University. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To Isolation of organism from sachet water sold in Imo State University
- To Identification of the isolates from sachet water sold in Imo State University
1.4 Significance of Study
Water analysis is the first step in determining the quality of the water you use in your home or commercial enterprise. Water that is supplied to cities, towns and villages is tested on a regular basis by the local County or City Council. Well and surface waters are vulnerable to pollution and should be checked for pathogenic bacteria. The presence of Coliforms in water bodies indicates presence of pathogenic bacteria. Sachet water sold in Owerri is to be properly analyzed for pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella spp. as this will help prevent once from drinking contaminated water.
1.5 Scope of Study
The scope of this research is focused on the Bacteriological Study of Sachet Water in Owerri, Imo State.
1.6 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet).
1.7 Definition of Terms
E.coli: Is an acronym for Escherichia coli which is a bacterium commonly found in the intestines of humans and other animals, some strains of which can cause severe food poisoning.
Staphylococcal: Staphylococcus (staph) is a group of bacteria. There are more than 30 types. A type called Staphylococcus aureus causes most infections. Staph bacteria can cause many different types of infections, including; skin infections which are the most common types of staph infections.
Isolates: isolate simply means cause (a person or place) to be or remain alone or apart from others.
Phytochemical: This is a substance produced mainly by plants, and these substances have biological activity.
Component: it simply means one part of a whole thing.
Antibacterial: Anything that destroys bacteria or suppresses their growth or their ability to reproduce. Heat, chemicals such as chlorine, and antibiotic drugs all have antibacterial properties.
Effect: a change which is a result or consequence of an action or other cause.
