Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Environmental Management in the Faculty of Applied Science at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology / Greywater is domestic wastewater from daily kitchen, laundry, bath, shower, hand washing practices and does not include wastewater from the toilet. Greywater from informal settlement has been identified as important environmental pollution sources. Inadequate sanitation and poor drainage in informal settlements result in greywater being stagnant at the base of communal taps. This water has a potential to cause health problems to those who come in contact with it. Studies of greywater quality in informal settlements in South Africa tend to concentrate on physico-chemical analysis and microbial indicator organisms. In order to adequately manage greywater in informal settlements there is a need to understand the microbial pathogens present in such water. Therefore this study is aimed at determining the level of microbial contamination of stagnant greywater in the RR Section of Khayelitsha, Western Cape. Six sampling sites were identified and sampling of stagnant greywater was conducted twice a month (from January to May 2013) from the base of six communal taps, which served as the sampling sites. The microbial enumeration techniques employed in this study were the Most Probable Number (MPN) techniques, the Heterotrophic Plate Count (HPC) technique and the Flow Cytometric (FCM) technique. The API 20E and the RapID™ ONE systems were used to identify possible pathogenic Gram-negative microorganisms, while possible pathogenic Gram-positive microorganisms were identified with the BBL Crystal™ Gram Positive (GP) Identification (ID) system. The highest MPN counts were 1.6 x 108 microorganisms/100mℓ recorded at Site A (weeks 3 and 5) as well as at Site B (week 5). The corresponding highest faecal coliform count was 4.7 x 106 microorganisms/100mℓ obtained at Site B (week 5). The highest E. coli count observed was 1.8 x 106 microorganisms/100mℓ recorded at Site A (week 5) and Site F (week 5). In comparison, the highest HPC count was 2.9 x105 microorganisms/mℓ recorded at Site C in week 4. The results obtained by the MPN and HPC techniques were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the water quality standards by Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) (1996a; 1996b) and the SABS (2011). The highest total FCM and viable FCM counts were 3.4 x 107 microorganisms/mℓ and 3.1 x 107 microorganisms/mℓ, respectively recorded at Site A in week 5. The FCM technique displayed significantly (p < 0.05) higher results than both the MPN and HPC techniques, which highlighted its reliability in obtaining more accurate enumeration results. The RapID™ ONE and the API 20E identification systems mostly identified Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia, K. oxytoca, Acinetobacter baumannii/calcoaceticus and Enterobacter cloacae, while the organisms more commonly identified by the BBL Crystal™ Gram Positive (GP) Identification (ID) system, were the Corynebacterium species, and Bacillus cereus. The presence of these organisms raises health concern to the community of RR Section, as some are known to cause waterborne diseases, while others are known to cause nosocomial infections.

Thesis (M. Tech. (Environmental Health)) -- Central University of technology, Free State, 2013 / Introduction: Drinking water of poor quality can cause a variety of diseases and may even result in death. The impact of poor drinking water is a course for concern even in South Africa. Therefore, the physical, chemical and microbiological drinking water quality was investigated in the peri-urban area of Bainsvlei and the Woodlands Hills Estate in Bloemfontein, Free State. Materials and Methods: The water quality was assessed in 20 identified sampling sites for three series with ten weeks apart. These sites use treated municipal and untreated borehole water for drinking. The determinants analysed for were pH, electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, temperature, Ca, Mg, Na, F, Cl, N, SO₄,N, Free chlorine, Al, As, CN, Fe, Mn, Pb, Hg, total coliforms and E. coli. The water samples were collected and analysed on site and in the laboratory. Both the physical and chemical determinants were measured using standard methods whereas the microbiological determinants were measured using the Defined Substrate Technology (DST) method. The measurements were first compared to the SANS 241 (2011) for compliance. The ANOVA tests were used to investigate if any seasonal variations existed in the water quality as well as to compare the levels of the determinants between borehole and municipal water. In the assessment of the overall drinking water quality of different water sampling sites the water quality index (WQI) was used. Results and Discussions: Significant effects were believed to exist if the p-values of the ANOVA and Scheffe tests were at a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05). The study results revealed that of the four physical determinants that were measured turbidity exceeded the standard in many sampling sites in the three series. Of all the chemical determinants, nitrates exceeded the standard. In the same way coliforms exceeded the standard in a number of sampling sites while E. coli was found in a few sampling sites in the first series. ANOVA tests revealed that seasonal variations existed between pH, EC, temperature, cyanide and iron at a significant level of 5% (p < 0.05) while the Post-hoc Scheffe test further revealed the series in which the effect existed. Similarly, the ANOVA tests revealed that the levels of the determinants between municipal versus borehole varied in pH, EC, Ca, Mg, Na, F, Cl, N, and SO₄ at a significant level of 5% (p < 0.05). The WQI showed that in all the series when combining the good and excellent category season 2 had the highest percentage of 80%, followed by season 3 with 79% and season 1 with 70%. Only borehole sampling sites were found in the poor, very poor and unsuitable categories. Similarly all the highest WQI values were found in borehole sampling sites. Conclusion: This study revealed that the water quality is of good quality in the Bainsvlei and Woodlands Hills Estate of the Mangaung metropolitan municipality in Bloemfontein, in the Free State, South Africa. The presence of E. coli, though found in a few sampling sites and the high levels of turbidity, nitrates and coliforms are of concern to public health.

MSc (Microbiology) / Department of Microbiology / See the attached abstract below

MESHWR / Department of Hydrology and Water Resources / See the attached abstract below