Microbiological and Physico-Chemical Quality of Deep well water in Selected Public Elementary Schools

Contaminated deep well water results in problems of gastro-enteritis and other water- borne diseases. Groundwater which is the main source of drinking water should be periodically monitored. This study focuses on the microbiological and physico-chemical quality of deep well water in four barangay public elementary schools of Bayambang, Pangasinan during the month of September, 2013. Physical Characteristics of the water samples were also determined. It employed the use of standard laboratory procedures to analyze the water quality parameters and the results compared with the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW, 2007). In the microbiological parameters, the total bacterial count and total coliform of the four water samples did not pass the standard values while for the fecal coliform only Buenlag elementary school water sample passed the permissible limit. The test for E. coli.is negative to the four water samples. In the physico- chemicalquality, all water samples passed the standard values on salinity, pH, nitrite and pesticide residues, while for total dissolved solids, one sample passed the PNSDW standard values. Water samples are odourless, two slightly fishy in taste, and two yellowish in color. Based on the microbiological and physico-chemical findings, deep well water in the four elementary schools must be boiled first and filtred before drinking. Deep well water should be tested every six months for microbiological and every three years for physico-chemical.

Keywords: Microbiological, Physico-chemical, quality, deep well