Physico-Chemical and Microbiological Evaluation of Drinking Water Points in the Manianga District, Commune of Djiri (Brazzaville-North) and the Commune of Kintélé (Pool Department), Republic of Congo

This present paper aims to assess the physico-chemical and microbiological quality of drinking water points in the Manianga districts, commune of Djiri and Kintélé in the Pool Department. Ten (10) water samples (three (03) and seven (07) sources) were collected in December 2022 during the long rainy season, which would correspond to the groundwater recharge period, for physico-chemical and microbiological analyzes according to standard methods in the laboratory of the Institute for Research in Exact and Natural Sciences (IRSEN). The results obtained were compared to the drinking water quality standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). It appears that from laboratory results all the elements analyzed are compliant, except the pH which presents values lower than the WHO standard for drinking water. It varies between 5.79 and 6.02. This would reflect the acidic nature of the water in the study area. Microbiologically, except for two (2) water points, eight (8) water points are loaded with total coliforms (78 CFU/100ml), fecal coliforms (68 CFU/100ml) and fecal streptococci (14 CFU/100ml). Therefore, these eight (08) waters points do not comply with WHO regulations on the microbiological quality of drinking water (0 CFU/100ml). This contamination is perhaps attributed to the effluent’s infiltration from traditional toilets near contaminated water points into the groundwater. They are of poor quality and unsuitable for human consumption without prior treatment.