Microbiological quality of drinking water from three flood-prone communities along the Odaw River in Accra, Ghana

ABSTRACT Access to safe drinking water is considered a fundamental human right, yet, in most developing countries, this is not the case, as microbial contamination of drinking water is commonly responsible for the transmission of many waterborne diseases, including cholera, typhoid fever, diarrhoea, and dysentery. The study aimed to assess the microbiological quality of drinking water from three communities along the Odaw River in Accra, known for their poor waste-disposal practices and incidents of flooding. Water samples were collected from community tap water and locally manufactured sachet-water from three flood-prone communities along the Odaw River, namely, Alajo, Avenor, and Agbogbloshie, and analysed for the presence of indicator organisms: total coliforms, faecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli (E. coli). All brands of sachet water sampled from the three communities had no microbial contamination. Conversely, most community tap water showed contamination with indicator organisms that exceeded the international standard of 0 per 100 mL for potable water. The presence of faecal coliforms and E. coli in community-shared tap water is an indication of poor water quality and may present a risk for waterborne disease outbreaks among households and communities.