Environmental, physical and microbial parameters of harvested rain-water supply system of El Obeid drinking water

This study was carried out to identify some environmental pollutants, physical and microbiological parameters of harvested drinking water supply of Elobeid town, North Kordofan, Sudan during the rainy season of 2016. Water samples were collected from five points (Bagara, Elain, Air-port, Elmoderia streams and Elobeid station) and assessed for environmental pollutants. Physical parameters (turbidity, electrical conductivity and total dissolved solid) were determined according to standards methods. Microbiological parameters (total viable count of bacteria, total coliform bacteria and faecal coliform bacteria Escherichia coli) were determined using the pour plate and the most probable number techniques. Analysis of variance was used and Duncan’s Multiple Range test performed for means separation. Results showed that water steams and other surface water drinking sources contained environmental pollutants (human, plants and animals residues). Results indicated that the highest mean values of water turbidity (166.0 NTU) and total dissolved solids (164.7 mg/l) were recorded from the Air-port stream while maximum electrical conductivity (235.3 μs/cm) was reported from Elobeid Station. Analysis of microbiological parameters revealed that Elmoderia stream had the highest total viable count of bacteria (27400 colony forming unit/ml), although the maximum mean value of most probable number for total coliforms bacteria (2400 cfu/ml) were reported at both Elain and Bagara streams. Faecal coliforms E. coli was found at Elain, Bagara and Air-port streams but not recorded at Elobeid Station and Elmoderia Stream. The study concluded that the main problem of Elobeid surface drinking water supply were human and animal pollutants. It is recommended that surface drinking water sources be protected by fencing to reduce contamination.