BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF DRILLING WATER INTENDED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION IN FOUR PREFECTURES IN THE SAVANNAH REGION OF TOGO

Abstract

According to the latest SDG recommendations, guidelines on access to safe drinking water have enabled the construction of boreholes in remote areas of developing countries. In Togo,  particularly in the savannah region where access to drinking water remains a major problem for the population, many boreholes have been built for this purpose. The objective of this study is to evaluate the bacteriological quality of the waters of some boreholes built in four (04) prefectures of the savannah region in Togo.

A total of 68 samples of drilling water intended for human consumption were collected between January and February 2019 for bacteriological analysis.  These analyses were  carried out according to the standardized routine methods of the French Association for Standardization (AFNOR). The parameters sought or counted in these  samples are those retained by  the 2007 European Union criteria for water intended for human consumption. The analysis reveal that the samples of borehole water are at 50% and 90%   of unsatisfactory hygienic quality respectively compared to the Total Coliforms (CT) and the Total Aerobic Mesophilic Flora (FAMT) which are indicative germs of hygiene failure. The correlation of the germs sought made it possible to distinguish two groups of indicators of contamination: those  responsible for  hygiene  failures and old fecal contamination (ASR)

Conclusion: Since the majority of the borehole water analyzed is contaminated by germs indicating  hygiene deficiencies, adequate  treatment of these waters and monitoring of their quality  are necessary in order to protect the population of the savannah region against probable diseases linked to faecal contamination germs.