Examining the bacteriological quality of sachet water commonly sold in Oye-Ekiti Local Government Area, Ekiti State, Nigeria

Sachet water has become a popular substitute for the inadequate supply of portable water because of its availability, accessibility and affordability. In Nigeria, sales and consumption of sachet water are on the increase, and its potability is crucial for the general public's health. This study assessed the microbiological quality of sachet water sold in Oye-Ekiti Local Government Area (LGA). Sixteen (16) samples of sachet water were obtained from four different brands (A, B, C, and D) from various vendors in Oye-Ekiti LGA, while the control samples were obtained from the water production factories. The samples were subjected to microbial analysis using Nutrient agar (NA), MacConkey agar (Mac) and Eosin-methylene blue agar (EMB) as culture media. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data from a total of 1,304 Federal University Oye-Ekiti students using online Google form. The bacteria isolated from the samples were characterized and identified as Staphylococcus sp, Enterobacter sp, Proteus sp, Klebsiella sp, and Escherichia coli with colony forming units (cfu) ranging from 1.6 × 101 to > 3.5× 103 cfu/ml and coliform count ranging from 0 to 9.2 × 102 cfu/ml. Sample D had the lowest of bacterial load, hence, safe to drink. More than 55% of the students consume sachet water and fifteen percent of them consume sample A which has the highest bacteria load, while only 9% drink sample D. The results obtained showed the importance of conducting routine monitoring and quality control procedures to ensure the microbiological safety of sachet water products.