Assessing the Physico-Chemical and Microbiological Quality of Drinking Water in Kindele and Chad Neighborhoods (Kinshasa City, Democratic Republic of the Congo): Implications for Public Health

This study aimed to analyze the quality of water consumed in the neighborhoods of Kindele and Chad, two areas not served by the REGIDESO distribution network. Our samples included borehole, well, and spring water. Physicochemical analyses were conducted using pH metering, conductometry, turbidity measurement, etc. Spectrophotometry was used for the quantification of mineral elements, while bacterial counts and identification were conducted for microbiological analyses. Results showed that the pH values of well, borehole, and spring waters were all below 6, indicating the level of water acidity or alkalinity. These pH values fall outside the standards for drinking water. We observed temperatures ranging from 28 to 29°C, slightly lower than the ambient temperature range in the city-province of Kinshasa, which is between 29-32 °C. The turbidity values for the water in this study were within acceptable standards. The concentrations of cationic mineral elements were within the standards for freshwater, and the study indicated no significant difference at the p(0.05) threshold. Klebsiella oxytoca, Enterobacter agglomerans, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus sp., Klebsiella ozaenae, Citrobacter, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis, and other unidentified species were the microorganisms isolated in the present study.