Discussion
The results of the bacteriological quality of water
sources in this study concord with the results of other
studies conducted in Africa10-12. The presence of
significant counts of coliform bacteria in the water
sources is indicative of inadequacy of the depth of
the wells or a breach of sanitary integrity of the
wells13. The presence of coliforms in groundwater
indicates that microorganisms from surface water
have been able to reach the aquifer as supported by
studies of Payment and Locas14. The presence of
total coliforms in tap water after disinfection
indicates inadequate treatment3
. There was statistically
significant difference among water sources with
respect to TC and TTC (p < 0.05) where the average
total coliform and thermotolerant counts were
relatively higher in unprotected water sources
compared to protected ones. Gwimbi15 has reported
a similar finding from a study done in Lesotho.
Sanitary inspection is used to identify causes
of contamination and the risks of future
contamination and overall assessment maintenance
and operation of water sources4,16. A study
conducted in Uganda, showed that total sanitary risk
score showed a significant relationship with level of
contamination17
. In this study, there was statistically
significant positive correlation between coliform