Thesis (MPH)--University of Limpopo, 2005 / Water and sanitation inadequacy is still an environmental health challenge in several
regions worldwide and a billion people lack access to safe water, while 2.4 billion people
have inadequate sanitation [2].
Assessment of water quality by its chemistry includes measures of elements and
molecules dissolved or suspended in water. Commonly measured chemical parameters
include arsenic, cadmium, calcium, chloride, fluoride, total hardness, nitrate, and
potassium [16]. Water quality can also be assessed by the presence of waterborne
microorganisms from human and animals’ faecal wastes. These wastes contain a wide
range of bacteria, viruses and protozoa that may be washed into drinking water supplies
[21].
Three villages were selected for water quality analysis, based on their critical situation
regarding access to water and sanitation: namely, Matlou, Sekuruwe and Taolome
villages, situated in the Mogalakwena Local Municipality within the Waterberg district of
the Limpopo Province, South Africa. A proposal was written to the Province of North
Holland (PNH) and was approved for funding to start with the implementation of those
projects, with 20% of each village’s budget allocated for water quality research [26].
This was a cross sectional, analytical study to investigate the chemical and microbial
quality of water in Matlou, Sekuruwe and Taolome villages. The study was also
conducted to explore methods used by household members to store and handle water in
storage tanks. Water samples were collected and analysed according to the standard
operating procedures (SOPs) of the Polokwane Municipality Wastewater Purification
Plant in Ladanna, Polokwane City of South Africa. The questionnaire used was adopted
from the one used for cholera outbreak in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Results show that water from all sources in all the villages had increased total hardness
concentration. Water from the borehole in Matlou village had increased number of total
coliform bacteria. There were increased total and faecal coliform bacteria in storage
tanks samples from Matlou village. Water samples from reservoirs in Sekuruwe and
Taolome villages did not test positive for any microbial contamination. Water from
xiv
informally connected yard taps in Sekuruwe village had increased total coliform bacteria,
while increased total and faecal coliforms were found in households’ storage tanks.
Water samples from communal taps in Taolome village had minimal number of total
coliform bacteria, while water from storage tanks had both increased total and faecal
coliform bacteria.
Matlou village was the only place with increased nitrate concentration at the households’
storage tanks. While all the villages had microbial contamination, Taolome village had
the least number of coliform bacteria in water samples from households’ storage tanks
as compared to Matlou and Sekuruwe villages.
It is concluded that water from sources supplied by the municipalities are safe to be
consumed by humans while water from informally connected taps and households’
storage tanks are not safe to be used without treatment.
It is recommended that a health and hygiene education package be prepared for all the
villages, so that handling of water from the main source into their storage tanks can be
improved. Secondly, it is recommended that water in all sources be treated for total
hardness and water in storage tanks in Matlou village be treated for nitrate. Thirdly, it is
recommended that water be accessed everyday of the week, so that people do not use
unsafe water supplies. / The Province of North Holland, Netherlands.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ul/oai:ulspace.ul.ac.za:10386/91 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Makgoka, Seretloane Japhtaline |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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