Assessment of Microbiological Quality of Drinking Water in Market Gardening Sites in the Centre-Ouest Region in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Microbiological quality of drinking water in market gardening sites was assessed to understand the persistence of diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition among children under five. Households with children under five (5) were selected in Dassa, Nebia, Nariou and Tanguin-wobdo located in centre-ouest region in Burkina Faso. A total of 140 water samples were collected from storage containers in households (n=108), boreholes (n=7) and hand dug wells (n=25) during the month of February 2018. Faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and faecal streptococci were isolated and enumerated according French standard methods. WHO standards guidelines for drinking water were used to assess water quality. Results showed that 100% of hand dug well water were contaminated with faecal bacteria whereas all water from boreholes were potables. 72% of hand dug well water were contaminated with E. coli, 96.3% with faecal coliforms and 96% with faecal streptococci. In households, 95.9% of drinking water from boreholes were contaminated with faecal bacteria versus 100% of water from hand dug wells. This situation is related to the lack of safe drinking water infrastructures, unimproved sanitation and lack of hygiene in households. In fact, 78.12% of water infrastructures were hand dug wells located mostly in gardens. In these areas, contaminated hand dug well water are used for both irrigation and consumption. Regarding these results, a reinforcement of safe drinking water infrastructures such as boreholes, improved hygiene and sanitation and health education are necessary to improve the quality of drinking water to reduce diarrhoeal diseases and malnutrition among market gardeners’ children.