A field test for the assessment of faecal contamination of potable water

A simple, sensitive, rapid, inexpensive paper strip impregnated with Salmonellal E. coli medium (SEM) was formulated, and placed in a test tube. When potable water of 10 ml was added to the test tube it detected the faecal contamination of water samples within 16-48 h when incubated at room temperature from 20 to 35 degrees C. The positive results were indicated when the medium turned black (hydrogen sulfide production) for the presence of Salmonella sp. and/or the formation of a red ring (free indole from tryptophan) when a few drops of Kovac's reagent was added for the presence of coliform bacteria (E. coli). More than 600 water samples were tested with the new test (SEM) and results showed 99% agreement with that of the standard most probable number (MPN) coliform test and also proved highly successful in the field when it was employed to detect both Salmonella and E. coli. Different water testing laboratories involved in a water quality monitoring programme and governmental agencies evaluated the test media and reported that the test was user friendly, reliable and simple to perform in the field and will be especially useful for screening of both urban and rural water supplies for routine monitoring of bacteriological contamination.     

Evaluation of simple microbiol tests for detection of fecal coliforms directly at 44.5 degrees C

Simple microbial test comprising H₂S paper strip test,presence-absence (PA) test, and fluorogenic brila broth (BB)test performed directly at 44.5 °C were evaluated andcompared with the standard most probable number (MPN) method fordetection of fecal coliforms in 173 drinking water sources. BBand PA test were comparable with standard MPN method, whereas,poor compliance was noted for H₂S test. PA test whencompared with standard MPN test only 15%; disagreement wasdetected, whereas, highest disagreement of 40%; was observed incase of H₂S test. BB test was found to be highly sensitiveas only 7.8% disagreement with that of standard MPN test wasfound. Three hundred cultures obtained from positive tests wereidentified in order to evaluate the specificities of test usedin detection of fecal indicator Escherichia coli. BB testwas also found highly specific in detection of indicatororganism as compared to PA and H₂S test. Among theorganisms isolated from BB test 84.4%; of them were identifiedas E. coli as compared to 43.4 and 33.3 in PA and H₂Stest, respectively. The low incidence of recovery of E.coli (18.1%) for the standard MPN method places doubt on thevalidity of its application in tropical areas. The result ofthis investigation suggest that BB performed directly at 44.5 °C could be suitable cost effective test to assess themicrobiological quality of drinking water in India and other tropical countries.     

Physicochemical and microbiological assessment of recreational and drinking waters

The present study was aimed to make an assessment of health risk due to pollution and human pathogenic bacteria associated with the recreational and drinking water sources in twin densely populated holy Indian cities Ayodhya and Faizabad. Though physicochemical studies revealed that the water available in the area is under recommended limits for human use, it is unsafe on account of poor microbiological quality of surface and ground water in the region. The most probable number (MPN) test results revealed the preponderance of ≥2,400 total coliforms (TC) (100 ml)^− 1 in river, pond, dug well and kund waters. Contrary to that, 94% tube wells, 32% hand pumps and 25% piped supply water were under safe limits having <3 TC (100 ml)^− 1. The shallow depth (~40 ft), water logging and presence of septic tanks in the near vicinity are the possible reasons of poor microbial quality of hand pump drinking water. The municipal supply water passes along sewage line where loose connections and/or cracks in pipe lead to mixing and contamination. The significant best quality of tube well water evident from the absence of TC could be attributed to the depth of well ≥150 ft and usually their location away from the habitation. A total of 263 bacteria from 186 water samples were isolated, and at least five genera of enteric bacteria from various water sources were identified morphologically and biochemically as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella sp., Enterobacter sp., Shigella sp. and Salmonella sp. The serotyping of 72 E. coli and 36 Salmonella sp. revealed 51 as E. coli O157 and 20 as Salmonella sp. The presence of enteric pathogens in water sources pose threat to human health and therefore call for immediate remedial measures.     

Efficiency of Modified H2S Test for Detection of Faecal Contamination in Water

Faecal contamination is a major causative factor for incidence of water borne infectious diseases. Certain hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) producing enteric bacteria such as Salmonella sp. and Citrobacter sp., assosiated with coliforms, have been considered for rapid detection of recent faecal contamination in water. The basic H₂S test medium, modified by adding 0.25 gm/L of L-cystine HCl, was examined for its efficiency with 90 water samples collected from 40 pipe supplies, 20 open wells, 15 hand pumps and 15 different surface water bodies (river, streams and ponds). Sterilized modified culture medium in glass vials was inoculated with 100 mL of each sample and incubated at 20, 25, 30, 35 and 44 ^∘C for 18, 24, 42, 48, 66 and 72 h. Blackening of content in incubated vials was considered positive. For comparison, most probable number (MPN) of coliform and faecal coliform per 100 mL was also estimated in each sample by multiple tube fermentation (MTF) method. H₂S positive result was exhibited by 78% of samples. Coliform (> 10) and faecal coliform/100 mL were also detected in 59% of samples. Maximum H₂S positive results (100%) were found with well and surface water samples incubated at 30, 35 and 44 ^∘C for 18 h. Coliform (> 10) and faecal coliform/100 mL were also detected in most of these samples. Pipe supplies (60%) and hand pumps (73%) also exhibited considerable H₂S production. Coliforms and faecal coliforms were also found in significant number of these samples. Thus, the modified H₂S test may prove a useful alternative indicator of faecal contamination for water quality surveillance and screening of large number of water samples in short duration, particularly during any outbreak of water borne disease among rural population.     

Potability of water sources in relation to metal and bacterial contamination in some northern and north-eastern districts of India

A total of 1094 water samples from 326 springs, 207 streams, 183 dug wells, 151 piped supplies, 90 tube wells, 75 hand pumps, 60 rivers and 2 lakes were collected from eight northern and six north-eastern districts of India. Samples were analysed to assess their potability by estimating the level of heavy metals and bacterial (coliform and faecal coliform) contaminations. Iron was found in a maximum number (53%) of water samples from hand pumps, followed by lead in 43% of the tube wells, chromium in 16% of dug wells, cadmium in 13% of streams and manganese in 7% of hand pumps above their maximum admissible concentrations (MACs). Maximum metal pollution has been observed in a considerable number of water samples from Doda, followed by Almora, Mirzapur and Bankura. Hand pump water samples exhibited maximum metal pollution followed by dug well, spring, stream and river water samples. Contamination of coliform and/or faecal coliform bacteria ranged between 41% and 67% of water samples from open water sources but it was also less, i.e. 6–15% of water samples from tube wells and hand pumps. In general, 42–85% of water samples from districts surveyed, except from Jammu (18%) and Mirzapur (27%), were found to be bacteriologically unsatisfactory. Since toxic metals and pathogenic bacteria pose a risk to public health, monitoring of drinking water sources is required.     

Improving Salmonella determination in Sinaloa rivers with ultrafiltration and most probable number methods

Monitoring of waterborne pathogens is improved by using concentration methods prior to detection; however, direct microbial enumeration is desired to study microbial ecology and human health risks. The aim of this work was to determine Salmonella presence in river water with an ultrafiltration system coupled with the ISO 6579:1993 isolation standard method (UFS-ISO). Most probable number (MPN) method was used directly in water samples to estimate Salmonella populations. Additionally, the effect between Salmonella determination and water turbidity was evaluated. Ten liters or three tenfold dilutions (1, 0.1, and 0.01 mL) of water were processed for Salmonella detection and estimation by the UFS-ISO and MPN methods, respectively. A total of 84 water samples were tested, and Salmonella was confirmed in 64/84 (76%) and 38/84 (44%) when UFS-ISO and MPN were used, respectively. Salmonella populations were less than 5 × 10(3) MPN/L in 73/84 of samples evaluated (87%), and only three (3.5%) showed contamination with numbers greater than 4.5 × 10(4) MPN/L. Water turbidity did not affect Salmonella determination regardless of the performed method. These findings suggest that Salmonella abundance in Sinaloa rivers is not a health risk for human infections in spite of its persistence. Thus, choosing the appropriate strategy to study Salmonella in river water samples is necessary to clarify its behavior and transport in the environment.     

Studies on urban drinking water quality in a tropical zone

Anthropogenic activities associated with industrialization, agriculture and urbanization have led to the deterioration in water quality due to various contaminants. To assess the status of urban drinking water quality, samples were collected from the piped supplies as well as groundwater sources from different localities of residential, commercial and industrial areas of Lucknow City in a tropical zone of India during pre-monsoon for estimation of coliform and faecal coliform bacteria, organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and heavy metals. Bacterial contamination was found to be more in the samples from commercial areas than residential and industrial areas. OCPs like α,γ-hexachlorocyclohexane and 1,1 p,p-DDE {dichloro-2, 2-bis(p-chlorophenyl) ethene)} were found to be present in most of the samples from study area. The total organochlorine pesticide levels were found to be within the European Union limit (0.5 μg/L) in most of the samples. Most of the heavy metals estimated in the samples were also found to be within the permissible limits as prescribed by World Health Organization for drinking water. Thus, these observations show that contamination of drinking water in urban areas may be mainly due to municipal, industrial and agricultural activities along with improper disposal of solid waste. This is an alarm to safety of public health and aquatic environment in tropics.     

Assessment of deterioration in water quality from source to household storage in semi-urban settings of developing countries

This study has investigated the common risks associated with the water quality changes from the source to the consumer households and the associated disease burden in the piped water supplies. Samples from the source to the household storage from Nagpur City were collected and analysed for heavy metals, nutrient and microbial parameters. Sanitary risks were identified at the households during the socio-economic and sanitary survey. The water quality deterioration was the most at household storage around 30.3 % indicating that measures need to be taken to safeguard the water quality at the consumer level. Then, 31.2 % of the samples collected from public standposts and handpumps were positive for faecal contamination which implies that it is the weaker sections of the society who suffer the consequences of drinking unsafe water the most. On the basis of the laboratory results, risk analysis by surveying the WTPs, point-of-use behaviour at households and sanitary status at different socio-economic strata, the Water Safety Plan for Nagpur City was structured. The aim was to ensure that safe and improved water is reached to the individual household.     

Environmental impact assessment of Attenda abattoir, Ogbomoso southwestern Nigeria on surface and groundwater quality using geo-electrical imaging and microbiological analysis

The impact of Attenda abattoir, Ogbomoso southwestern Nigeria on four water sources was investigated using geoelectrical imaging and microbiological analysis. 2D electrical resistivity imaging indicated groundwater contamination by leachate from the abattoir. Electrical resistivity values measured by the traverse run directly on the waste dump and other areas impacted by the waste from the abattoir are generally very low (6.68-16.7 ?m) in comparison to other positions (135-288 ?m). The total viable bacteria count of the water samples ranged from 0.49 × 10(6) to 2.85 × 10(8) cfu/ml and all samples are contaminated with coliforms with the most probable number (MPN)/100 ml ranging from 110 to ≥ 1,600 MPN/100 ml. Among bacteria isolated from the study site (n = 95), resistance to eight antibiotics ranged from 35.8% to 94%. In addition, 85% of Streptococcus agalactiae (n = 31) and Staphylococci (n = 9) showed haemolytic activity while 92% of all isolates showed β-lactamase activity. These results suggest that operations of the abattoir may impact negatively on surrounding aquatic ecosystem and endanger the health of surrounding residents who use water from the wells for domestic purposes. Furthermore, such aquatic ecosystems may serve as reservoir of antibiotic resistant bacteria.     

Chlorination and water quality monitoring within a public drinking water supply in Rawalpindi Cantt (Westridge and Tench) area, Pakistan

Concern over the presence of fecal coliform in public drinking water supplies has been expressed in recent years in Pakistan since it has been regarded as pathogenic organism of prime importance in gastroenteritis. Two major drinking water distribution systems in the Cantt area of Rawalpindi district covering the Westridge and Tench areas was monitored over a 2-month period to determine the prevalence of fecal coliform and chlorine residual. The collected samples were examined for total chlorine, free chlorine residual, chloramines, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and turbidity. The drinking water quality monitoring in the distribution network was performed by collecting samples from water source, overhead reservoir, and residential taps. In the Westridge area, total chlorine varied from the lowest value of 0.27 mg/L at Station # W-5 to the highest value of 0.42 mg/L at Station # W-2, total coliforms varied from 1.1 to 3.6 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL with presence of Escherichia coli in all samples, total dissolved solids (TDS) ranged from 199.5 to 205 mg/L, conductivity fluctuated between 399 and 411 microS/cm, and turbidity varied from 0.43 to 0.73 NTU. In the Tench area, the value of total chlorine ranged from 0.14 mg/L at Station # T-7 to 0.55 mg/L at Station # T-1. Total coliform varied from 3.6 to 5.1 MPN/100 mL and fecal coliform were detected at all the stations except at Station # T-1. TDS ranged from 201.4 to 257 mg/L, conductivity varied from 343 to 513 microS/cm, and turbidity ranged between 0.66 and 1.55 NTU. It is recommended to the respective agencies to ensure that the chlorine residual is available at consumer end.     

Feasibility of the hydrogen sulfide test for the assessment of drinking water quality in post-earthquake Haiti

In 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, severely damaging the drinking and wastewater infrastructure and leaving millions homeless. Compounding this problem, the introduction of Vibrio cholerae resulted in a massive cholera outbreak that infected over 700,000 people and threatened the safety of Haiti’s drinking water. To mitigate this public health crisis, non-government organizations installed thousands of wells to provide communities with safe drinking water. However, despite increased access, Haiti currently lacks the monitoring capacity to assure the microbial safety of any of its water resources. For these reasons, this study was designed to assess the feasibility of using a simple, low-cost method to detect indicators of fecal contamination of drinking water that could be implemented at the community level. Water samples from 358 sources of drinking water in the Léogâne flood basin were screened with a commercially available hydrogen sulfide test and a standard membrane method for the enumeration of thermotolerant coliforms. When compared with the gold standard method, the hydrogen sulfide test had a sensitivity of 65 % and a specificity of 93 %. While the sensitivity of the assay increased at higher fecal coliform concentrations, it never exceeded 88 %, even with fecal coliform concentrations greater than 100 colony-forming units per 100 ml. While its simplicity makes the hydrogen sulfide test attractive for assessing water quality in low-resource settings, the low sensitivity raises concerns about its use as the sole indicator of the presence or absence of fecal coliforms in individual or community water sources.     

Analysis of elemental concentration using ICP-AES and pathogen indicator in drinking water of Qasim Abad, District Rawalpindi, Pakistan

The present study was conducted to investigate drinking water quality (groundwater) from water samples taken from Qasim Abad, a locality of approximately 5,000 population, situated between twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad in Pakistan. The main sources of drinking water in this area are water bores which are dug upto the depth of 250–280 ft in almost every house. The study consists of the determination of physico-chemical properties, trace metals, heavy metals, rare earth elements and microbiological quality of drinking water. The data showed the variation of the investigated parameters in samples as follows: pH 6.75 to 8.70, electrical conductivity 540 to 855 μS/cm, total dissolved solids 325.46 to 515.23 ppm and dissolved oxygen 1.50 to 5.64 mg/L which are within the WHO guidelines for drinking water quality. The water samples were analysed for 30 elements (aluminium, iron, magnesium, manganese, silicon, zinc, molybdenum, titanium, chromium, nickel, tungsten, silver, arsenic, boron, barium, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, gallium, mercury, lanthanum, niobium, neodymium, lead, selenium, samarium, tin, vanadium and zirconium) by using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. The organic contamination was detected in terms of most probable number (MPN) of faecal coliforms. Overall, elemental levels were lower than the recommended values but three water bores (B-1, B-6, B-7) had higher values of iron (1.6, 2.206, 0.65 ppm), two water bores (B-1, B-6) had higher values of aluminium (0.95, 1.92 ppm), respectively, and molybdenum was higher by 0.01 ppm only in one water bore (B-11). The total number of coliforms present in water samples was found to be within the prescribed limit of the WHO except for 5 out of 11 bore water samples (B-2, B-3, B-4, B-8, B-11), which were found in the range 5–35 MPN/100 mL, a consequence of infiltration of contaminated water (sewage) through cross connection, leakage points and back siphoning.     

Domestic Water Contamination in Rapidly Growing Megacities of Asia: Case of Karachi, Pakistan

The development of essential services including water and sanitation in many megacities of the economically developing countries of Asia cannot keep pace with their rapidly growing population and accompanying urban and industrial development. The inadequate water supply and poor sanitation services lead to contamination of their water supply. It also leads to the input of sewage water into the groundwater. The problem is seriously acute in Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan with a population of over 12 million and growing at 6 percent. This paper examines the problem of water contamination in Karachi. The paper presents the data on water quality from various sources, mainly municipal water supply, vendors and well water; the three major sources of water for domestic use in Karachi. Except municipal water from some areas and during certain periods, water from most other sources contain coliform bacteria, and in many cases faecal coliform, in amounts several magnitudes higher than any standards permit. Many samples have also been found to contain heavy metals including Chromium, Lead, Nickel and Arsenic in amounts excessive of permitted standards. The probable sources of contaminants for the various types of water (piped, vendors, wells) indicate that groundwater may be the main contributor. The very source of this groundwater is predominantly from sewage. The health hazards from consuming such contaminated water are obvious. The paper also evaluates the solutions that are being practiced, proposed or may be feasible, as well as those that are evolving.     

Contamination of nitrate and fluoride in ground water along the Ganges Alluvial Plain of Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India

Nitrate-N and Fluoride concentrations were analyzed in shallow and unconfined ground water aquifers of Kanpur district along the Ganges Alluvial Plain of Northern India. Kanpur district was divided into three zones namely, Bithore, Kanpur City and Beyond Jajmau and sampling was carried out three seasons (summer, monsoon and winter). The data set consisted of the results of water samples from around 99 India Mark II hand Pumps, which were analyzed for summer monsoon and winter seasons. In Bithore zone, 19% of the samples exceeded the BIS (Bureau of India Standards) limit 10.2 mg/l as nitrate-N and as high as 166 mg/l as nitrate-N was observed. 10% and 7% samples in Kanpur city and beyond Jajmau zone respectively, exceeded the BIS limit. The Frequency distribution histogram of nitrate-N revealed a skewed (non-normal) distribution. Both point and non-point sources contribute to the ground water contamination. Especially in Bithore zone, the point sources could be attributed to the animal wastes derived from cows and buffaloes and non point sources could be due to the extensive agricultural activity prevalent in that area. Fluoride concentration in most samples was within the BIS maximum permissible level of 1.5 mg/l. No significant seasonal variation in water quality parameters was observed.     

Organochlorine insecticide residues in drinking and ground water in and around Delhi

A multiresidue method was developed for the estimation of 15organochlorine pesticides in water. 50 samples of drinking watersupplied by the Municipal Corporation to the residential areasof Delhi and 20 ground water samples from nearby villages usedfor irrigation were monitored for the presence of organochlorineinsecticides by the method developed. Although, organochlorinepesticides were detected in the ground water and irrigationwater samples, the levels of pesticides were below the MaximumContaminant Level as prescribed by WHO. No organochlorineinsecticides were detected in any of the drinking water samples.     

Ground water contamination by organochlorine insecticide residues in a rural area in the indo-gangetic plain

Residues of several organochlorine insecticides were monitored in the ground water from a rural area near Farrukhabad in the vicinity of the Ganga River in northern India for one year (1991–1992). Almost all the samples were found to be contaminated with residues of Hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) and Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT). Residues of Aldrin, endosulfan and heptachlor were also detected in a large number of samples. The concentrations of aldrin residues greatly exceeded the WHO guideline value for drinking water, concentrations of heptachlor and DDT residues also occasionally exceeded the specified limits. Migration of pollutants through ground water recharge with polluted Ganga River water and monsoon rains carrying undergraded residues downwards from the soil surface are throught to be important sources of insecticide contamination of ground water in the region.     

Evaluation of water quality index for drinking purposes for river Netravathi, Mangalore, South India

An attempt has been made to develop water quality index (WQI), using six water quality parameters Dissolved oxygen (DO), Biochemical oxygen Demand (BOD), Most Probable Number (MPN), Turbidity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and pH measured at eight different stations along the river basin. Rating curves were drawn based on the tolerance limits of inland waters and health point of view. Bhargava WQI method and Harmonic Mean WQI method were used to find overall WQI along the stretch of the river basin. Five point rating scale was used to classify water quality in each of the study areas. It was found that the water quality of Netravathi varied from Excellent to Marginal range by Bhargava WQI method and Excellent to Poor range by Harmonic Mean WQI method. It was observed that the impact of human activity was severe on most of the parameters. The MPN values exceeded the tolerable limits at almost all the stations. It was observed that the main cause of deterioration in water quality was due to the lack of proper sanitation, unprotected river sites and high anthropogenic activities.     

The Quality of Water Resources in Dalmatia

The purpose of this study was to monitor and record the specific characteristics and properties of most of the important water resources in Dalmatia located in Southern Croatia for a period of 5 years (1998–2002) according to established standards for drinking water. The paper presents a detailed account of their chemical content, the classification and the concentration of salts. The bacteriological pollution levels are indicated by the total coliform bacterial levels (MPN coli/100 mL). The water characteristics are expressed by coefficients, which represent the ratios between water ingredients. The Ca/Mg eq ratio, SO₄/Cl eq ratio and K₁, K₂ for bicarbonate hardness were calculated. The hygienic characteristics of the water samples were expressed by the total coliform bacteria estimation (MPN coli/100 mL), the permanganate consumption (KMnO₄) and biological oxygen demand (BOD₅). Karst waters in Dalmatia are moderately hard, the SO₄/Cl ratio is 0.38–1.6, non-corrosive (K₁ lower than 0.2) and not significantly mineralised (< 500 mg/L minerals). Sulphate waters are generally hard, the SO₄/Cl ratio is higher than 1.6, K₁ is 0.2–0.65. Marine waters are quite hard or hard, particularly at the river estuaries, the SO₄/Cl ratio is lower than 0.38, and K₁ is higher than 0.65. The groundwater and springs in Dalmatia are less polluted than surface waters. A majority of these have a geometric average value of MPN coli < 150/100 mL of water observed in 24 of 42 locations studied. The highest bacteriological pollution was found in nine locations where MPN coli > 1000/100 mL and moderate pollution was found in nine locations where MPN coli is between 150 and 1000/100 mL of water. The physical and chemical parameters determined for the most sources in Dalmatia are safe below the international permissible limits.     

Monitoring of the three organophosphate esters TBP,TCEP and TBEP in river water and ground water (Oder,Germany)

The behaviour of the three organophosphate esters tributyl phosphate (TBP), tris(2-chloroethyl)phosphate (TCEP) and tris(2-butoxyethyl)phosphate (TBEP) during infiltration of river water to ground water has been investigated. The monitoring site is the Oder River and the adjacent Oderbruch aquifer. From March 2000 to July 2001, 76 ground water samples from monitoring wells located close to the Oder River and nine river water samples were collected. Additionally, influent and effluent samples from local waste water treatment plants, one sample of rain water and samples of roof runoff were collected. All samples were analysed by solid-phase-extraction followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. TBP, TCEP and TBEP were detected at mean values of 622 ng l(-1), 352 ng l(-1), and 2955 ng l(-1), respectively in municipal waste water effluents. This points to a major input of these compounds into the Oder River by municipal waste water discharge. The concentrations of TBP and TBEP decreased downstream the Oder River possibly due to aerobic degradation. TBP, TCEP and TBEP were detected in ground water influenced predominantly by bank-filtered water. This demonstrates a transport of organic compounds by river water infiltration to ground water. TBP, TCEP and TBEP were also detected in rain water precipitation, roof runoff and ground water predominantly influenced by rain water infiltration. This hints to an input of these compounds to ground water by dry and wet deposition after atmospheric transport. Organophosphate esters were also detected in parts of the aquifer at 21 m depth. This demonstrates low anaerobic degradation rates of TBP, TCEP and TBEP.     

Intensive water quality monitoring in a Taiwan bathing beach

A total of 357 water samples were collected from a public beach in northern Taiwan during beach season, and the densities of enterococci were analyzed by Enterolert methods. The mean enterococci level was 356 MPN/100 ml and ranged from <10 to 2,005 MPN/100 ml, which was classified as high contamination level according to the WHO water quality guideline (95 percentile >1,000 MPN/100 ml). Most of the deteriorated water quality conditions occurred during rainfall. By excluding data from the rain days, the overall beach water quality would be considered in the moderate contamination level (95 percentile 200-1,000 MPN/100 ml). Among the selected microbiological parameters tested, the densities of total coliforms and enterococci exhibited the highest correlation (r = 0.449, p = 0.009), followed by the concentrations of total coliforms and fecal coliforms (r = 0.403, p = 0.02). Nonetheless, no significant correlation was found between enterococci and fecal coliform levels (r = 0.197, p = 0.271).