Assessment of Portable Water Quality in Kumi Town Council, Eastern Uganda

Master's Thesis from the year 2016 in the subject Environmental Sciences, Kampala International University, course: Master of Science in Environment management and Development, language: English, abstract: This assessment of portable water quality was conducted to determine the physicochemical and biological characteristics in protected springs and borehole water of Kumi Town Council in Eastern Uganda. Protected springs in the Town council were studied, including Odello, Omulubin and Okwakel protected springs, as well as five boreholes that were functional out of the nine boreholes in Kumi Town Council; that is: Elgonia, Wiggins p/s, Kumi girls, Works and Omatenga Rd boreholes.

pH and temperature were measured in the field directly while iron, hardness, turbidity, nitrites, E-coli and T-coli were analyzed in the laboratory using the standard procedures for water sample analysis. The results showed borehole water was of better quality than the protected springs since most values of the parameters (E-coli, Total coli forms, Turbidity, and Hardness) of borehole water were within the WHO (2008) and UNBS (1994) permissible limits of drinking water.

The major contaminant in borehole water was Iron attributed to natural processes and Nitrites, which was attributed to human and animal fecal contamination in the water catchment areas. Generally, borehole water was of better quality for human consumption, and protected spring wells were contaminated with Total coliforms.