A Physicochemical and Microbial Quality of Drinking Water and its Health Implications in Debre Tabor Town, Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20372/pjet.v4i2.2959Keywords:
Drinking water quality; Escherichia Coli; Post-source Contamination; Waterborne diseasesAbstract
Getting clean and adequate drinking water is a problem in speedily increasing populations. This study was designed to evaluate the water quality of drinking water sources Debre Tabor, Ethiopia. The data was collected from 44 water samples from wells, reservoirs, taps, and household containers taking samples in two seasons. The Results showed that there is a significant contamination of the water from source to point-of-use. E. coli was detected in 78% of samples, with household containers exhibiting the highest levels of 13.3 CFU/100 mL; p<0.001, confirming severe post-source contamination. A strong positive correlation (R2 of 0.82, p<0.01) was found between E. coli concentrations and a 42% increase in waterborne disease. Multivariate analysis identified inadequate latrine coverage (31%), infrequent handwashing with soap (65% of households), and unhygienic water storage as key risk factors. The findings revealed that conventional source-focused monitoring grossly underestimates public health risk. An urgent, multi-barrier intervention strategy encompassing water safety planning at the utility level, water treatment, and community-led hygiene education to mitigate the escalating burden of waterborne disease, chlorination, and smart monitoring technologies to enhance water security is crucial. The study promotes achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water access.
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