Bacteriological analysis of rooftop harvested rain water in Luvumbula Parish, Kiringente Subcounty, Mpigi District

Abstract

The study was aimed at bacteriological analysis of rooftop harvested rainwater in Luvumbula Parish, Kiringente Sub County, Mpigi District in Central Uganda, where most of the people about 84% rely on rooftop harvested rainwater. Samples were collected between March,2019 and May 2019, where a total of 50 samples were analyzed in the microbiology laboratory for enumeration of total plate count, total E.coli count and total coliform count. Total plate count was enumerated using PCA surface spreading plating method and E.coli counts and coliform counts were determined by a selective MacConkey media surface spreading at 44.50c and 370c for E.coli and coliforms respectively and incubated for 24 hrs. The results indicated that samples had a mean total of 8.8x105cfu/ml and a range of 8.0x103cfu/ml -4.0x106 cfu/ml for total plate count, a mean total of 1.7x103cfu/ml and a range of 1.1x102-3.8x103cfu/ml for coliforms and a mean total of 3.2x101cfu/ml and a range of 0.0x100cfu/ml-3.0x102cfu/ml for E.coli with a P value of 0.663, 0.60 and 0.631 for total plate count, total coliform count and total E.coli count respectively Samples collected in March,2019 were less contaminated than samples collected in May 2019.