Bacteriological Analysis of Surface Water Obtained from Uke River in Karu, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Aim: To determine the bacteriological properties of the surface water obtained from Uke River.

Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in Uke Community, Karu LGA, Nasarawa state and the Department of Biological sciences, Bingham University, Karu, between March and April 2016.

Materials and Methods: Water samples were collected randomly from five points at the Uke River for five weeks. The total heterotrophic bacteria count, fecal coliform count and total coliform count were used to determine bacterial contamination. Biochemical tests and gram reaction was used to identify the bacterial isolates.

Results: Six bacterial genera which include Salmonella spp, Staphylococcus spp, Escherichia spp, Pseudomonas spp, Enterococcus spp and Klebsiella spp were isolated from the water samples. Escherichia coli had the highest frequency of 23(43%). The mean total heterotrophic count, total coliform count and fecal coliform count were 2.3× 102, 2.4×102, and 2.6×102 respectively.

Conclusion: The bacteriological analysis of the surface water indicates the presence of bacteria which suggests the water is not fit for consumption without proper processing.