Assessing the quality of domestic water consumed by the Nagongera community, Uganda

Abstract

The aim of this study was to monitor the quality of domestic water from various sources within Nagongera community with the specific objectives of determining conductivity, pH and total dissolved solids of water so as to determine its quality Samples from four water sources were collected for laboratory analysis. Water sources were found in the village of Mahanga, Maundo, Benda, and Opadamwara. In addition, samples were collected both from improved water sources and unimproved nearby alternative water sources currently used as main sources for household consumptions. The results from the laboratory analysis shows that, Temperature values are consistent and can be considered as being ambient and not too bad in terms of supporting microbial growth. Average pH is slightly acidic and indicates corrosion problems, especially in areas of Mahanga boreholes. Electrical conductivity and total dissolved solids values are very low; these give a measure of the ionic load and contaminants in the water. Hence, from the EC and TDS values, the water sources of this study area can be said to have low salt concentration and good for drinking and crop production The results show that, the water sources in the study area can be regarded as being of good quality for drinking and agriculture purposes with reference to the parameters under consideration, although with little pH treatment especially in areas of Mahangaand Maundo. This study recommends further studies with reference to the chemical and microbial analyses to be done to have a broader picture of this water quality