Analysis of the quality of spring water from protected springs in Nakulabye and Kasubi Divisions in Kampala City, Uganda

Abstract

Spring water is a major source of domestic water in Kampala sub urban areas (Haruna ,etl 2005). though spring water is visually acceptable for domestic use ,the presence of poorly designed pit latrines,poor waste management and insufficient spring protection lead to pathogenic bacteria contamination of spring water.Especially during the wet season. And as such, the purpose of the study was to assess the water quality of the protected springs in the areas of Nakulabyeand kasubi in kawempedivision. 14 springs were identified and were all suitable for the study .a total of 28 water samples were collected and transported to the laboratory for analysis of the selected water quality parameters. Of the 28 samples, 14 samples were collected during the dry season and 14 samples during the wet season .from the 14 protected springs, the physical chemical parameters tested included the turbidity, true color and PH, while the total coliform and the faecal coliform were the bacteriological parameters which were analyzed. The results showed that in both the dry and wet season, all the physical chemical parameters complied with the Uganda national standards for portable, untreated water, while the bacteriological parameters failed to meet the national standard in both seasons for all the study springs. The relationship between PH and TDS was also observed among the protected springs and there was a significant effect of season on the microbiological characteristics ofthe water from the study springs with total coliform and faecal colirform almost doubling during the wet season. Finally the water from the soring should either be boiled or disinfected before human consumption. since there is presence of faecal matter.