Evaluation of Drinking Water Quality and Bacterial Antibiotic Sensitivity in Wells and Standpipes at Household Water Points in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Dauda Kamara, Doris Bah, Momodu Sesay, Anna Maruta, Bockarie Pompey Sesay, Bobson Derrick Fofanah, Ibrahim Franklyn Kamara, Joseph Sam Kanu, Sulaiman Lakoh, Bailah Molleh, Jamie Guth, Karuna D. Sagili, Simon Tavernor and Ewan Wilkinson
Additional contact information
Dauda Kamara: Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Program, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Doris Bah: Directorate of Environmental Health & Sanitation, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Momodu Sesay: Directorate of Environmental Health & Sanitation, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Anna Maruta: World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Bockarie Pompey Sesay: World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Bobson Derrick Fofanah: World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Ibrahim Franklyn Kamara: World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Joseph Sam Kanu: National Disease Surveillance Program, Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Sulaiman Lakoh: Department of Medicine, College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Bailah Molleh: Sustainable Health Systems Sierra Leone, 34 Military Research Center, Freetown 00232, Sierra Leone
Jamie Guth: Global Health Connections, Center Barnstead, Barnstead, NH 03225, USA
Karuna D. Sagili: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), South East Asia Office, New Delhi 110016, India
Simon Tavernor: School of Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK
Ewan Wilkinson: Institute of Medicine, University of Chester, Chester CH2 1BR, UK

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: Water quality surveillance can help to reduce waterborne diseases. Despite better access to safe drinking water in Sierra Leone, about a third of the population (3 million people) drink water from unimproved sources. In this cross-sectional study, we collected water samples from 15 standpipes and 5 wells and measured the physicochemical and bacteriological water quality, and the antimicrobial sensitivity of Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) in two communities in Freetown, Sierra Leone in the dry and wet seasons in 2021. All water sources were contaminated with E. coli , and all five wells and 25% of standpipes had at least an intermediate risk level of E. coli . There was no antimicrobial resistance detected in the E. coli tested. The nitrate level exceeded the WHO’s recommended standard (>10 parts per million) in 60% of the wells and in less than 20% of the standpipes. The proportion of samples from standpipes with high levels of total dissolved solids (>10 Nephelometric Turbidity Units) was much higher in the rainy season (73% vs. 7%). The level of water contamination is concerning. We suggest options to reduce E. coli contamination. Further research is required to identify where contamination of the water in standpipes is occurring.

Keywords: clean water; standpipes; community wells; water contamination; nitrates; public water company; Structured Operational Research Training Initiative (SORT IT); operational research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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