Determination of Bacterial Quality of Water in Randomly Selected Swimming Pools in Kampala City, Uganda

Abstract

Swimming pools have become major recreation facilities for leisure and sports in cities across the world, but the standard guidelines, particularly in developing countries, are not adhered to because little is known about the contaminants in the pools and the possible health risks involved. This study provides a survey of bacterial quality of water from swimming pools in Kampala. A total of 26 water samples were collected from 13 outdoor swimming pools in Kampala between January and June 2016 and analysed for total aerobic plate count (TPC), Escherichia coli, coliforms, and Salmonella. The heterotrophic bacterial load ranged between 0 and 6.35 × 10 5 cfu/ml, where 6.35 × 10 5 cfu/ml was the highest load and 3 × 10 1 cfu/ml the least. The highest average TPC was 6.19 × 10 5 cfu/ml and the lowest 5.07 × 10 3 cfu/ml. 30.8% of the pools had TPC within acceptable limits (≤5 × 10 2 cfu/ml), whereas 69.2% were highly contaminated and did not conform to the Uganda National Water and Sewerage Corporation standards of recreational water quality for both treated (0 cfu/100 mls) water and untreated (10 cfu/100 mls) water. Although no positive results were yielded for E. coli, coliforms, and Salmonella, TPC represented the presence of heterotrophic bacteria which are often indicated in opportunistic infections.

Monitoring the Presence of Bacteria, Fungi and Parasitic Pathogens Associated with Swimming Pools in Port Harcourt Metropolis

“…However, according to [19] total heterotrophic bacteria count (total aerobic plate count) indicates the culturable organisms present, which could be low or high total bacteria present. In a similar study, [20] recorded that the heterotrophic bacterial load ranged between 0 and 6.35×10 5 cfu/ml, where 6.35×10 5 cfu/ml was the highest load and 3×10 1 cfu/ml the least; the highest average TPC was 6.19×10 5 cfu/ml and the lowest 5.07×10 3 cfu/ml. A number of reasons could be attributed to this level of contamination observed in the study.…”

“…A number of reasons could be attributed to this level of contamination observed in the study. According to [20], owners of swimming pools have little adherence to the national swimming pool or portable water standards because of poor enforcement of laws, ignorance, and negligence. This in their view has resulted in all kinds of uncouth practices in the pool water.…”

Susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans isolated from an Outdoor Swimming Pool in Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria

“…The elevated frequency (count) of these isolates in the swimming pool after usage is a strong indication that the pool was impacted by the swimmers, which are latent carriers of these pathogens. Besides the mucosal contaminations (Todd et al, 2019), the faecal-en route could be another possible source of these pathogens when pool users do not observe utmost sanitary measures (Ekopai et al, 2017). As a spherical bacterium, S. aureus often found embedded in man en route the nose and skin of people have survived to a great extent outside the human.…”

“…Despite the acclaimed disinfection of the pool water weekly with 100g chlorine/150Ash/1kg Alum (Questionnaire). The intensity of the isolates during use of pool suggests improper or no treatments as well as the use of substandard disinfectants (Ekopai et al, 2017). The presence of Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans discovered in the swimming pool is not desirable for recreational water.…”

Assessment of Microbiological Content of Private and Public Recreational Water Facilities and Their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Pattern in Al-Ahsa

“…Water samples were collected from canals and private swimming pools in farmhouses of those who volunteered to have samples collected. Samples were collected from the surface and at depths of 30 cm, 50 cm from the surface at strategic positions of 30 cm from the edge of the pool as previously described, 4 , 20 as well as from the outlet where water was pumped out into the canal before any contact was made by members of the community. Sterile bottles were used for the collection, after which they were immediately transported to the microbiology laboratory in insulated ice package coolers.…”