Evaluation of Drinking Water Quality and Bacterial Antibiotic Sensitivity in Wells and Standpipes at Household Water Points in Freetown, Sierra Leone

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 19; no. 11; p. 6650
• Main Authors: Kamara, Dauda, Bah, Doris, Sesay, Momodu, Maruta, Anna, Sesay, Bockarie Pompey, Fofanah, Bobson Derrick, Kamara, Ibrahim Franklyn, Kanu, Joseph Sam, Lakoh, Sulaiman, Molleh, Bailah, Guth, Jamie, Sagili, Karuna D, Tavernor, Simon, Wilkinson, Ewan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 29.05.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial agents; Antimicrobial resistance; Bacteria; Chemical contaminants; Contamination; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diarrhea; Dissolved solids; Drinking Water; Drug resistance; E coli; Escherichia coli; Feces; Households; Humans; Lead content; Lead poisoning; Pathogens; Public health; Rainy season; Risk levels; Rural areas; Sanitation; Sierra Leone; Standpipes; Sustainable development; Total dissolved solids; Tropical diseases; Turbidity; Water analysis; Water Microbiology; Water pollution; Water Quality; Water sampling; Water Supply; Water Wells; Waterborne diseases; Sierra Leone; South Africa; Africa; standpipes; clean water; public water company; water contamination; community wells; operational research; Structured Operational Research Training Initiative (SORT IT); nitrates
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19116650

Water quality surveillance can help to reduce waterborne diseases. Despite better access to safe drinking water in Sierra Leone, about a third of the population (3 million people) drink water from unimproved sources. In this cross-sectional study, we collected water samples from 15 standpipes and 5 wells and measured the physicochemical and bacteriological water quality, and the antimicrobial sensitivity of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in two communities in Freetown, Sierra Leone in the dry and wet seasons in 2021. All water sources were contaminated with E. coli, and all five wells and 25% of standpipes had at least an intermediate risk level of E. coli. There was no antimicrobial resistance detected in the E. coli tested. The nitrate level exceeded the WHO’s recommended standard (>10 parts per million) in 60% of the wells and in less than 20% of the standpipes. The proportion of samples from standpipes with high levels of total dissolved solids (>10 Nephelometric Turbidity Units) was much higher in the rainy season (73% vs. 7%). The level of water contamination is concerning. We suggest options to reduce E. coli contamination. Further research is required to identify where contamination of the water in standpipes is occurring.