Microbial Analysis of Drinking Water from Nadi to Lautoka Area in Viti Levu Fiji

Abstract

<jats:p>Introduction: Access to sufficient and safe drinking water is essential for human health and welfare. Countries in the Pacific Region like Fiji frequently face issues with access to safe drinking water and supply problems. Fluctuations in water resource availability, often untreated water and faulty treatment facilities, pollution, lack of proper water management frameworks and most importantly lack of water monitoring resources are all factors that influence Pacific Island Countries. Apart from this, Pacific Islands and their water supplies are susceptible to climate hazards such as floods, cyclones and drought. The Western Division of Fiji Islands is highly prone to adverse climatic conditions; therefore regular monitoring of the various drinking water sources is essential to ensure safety of people. This study was conducted in the Lautoka to Nadi corridor where 25 sites were randomly selected for water analysis processing from January to February 2019. &#x0D; Method: Physio-chemical analysis, such as measuring pH and turbidity as well as simple microbial analysis, was conducted on the water samples. Specific growth media was used to determine the different types of bacteria (Coliform, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica) present in the water samples; Lauryl Tryptose Broth, Eosin Methlylene Blue Agar, Xylose Lysine Deoxycholate was used. Turbidity was measured using a digital turbidity meter and pH value was determined employing a digital meter.&#x0D; Results and Discussion: From the analysis it was determined that overall the pH levels of samples (6.02-8.30) falls within the permissible limits; whereas turbidity was generally higher in untreated water sources with ranges from 3 to 8 nephelometric turbidity units. Microbial content was higher in untreated water samples. Other sources such as springs and creeks recorded the most significant number of Coliforms when compared to other sources and some samples indicated the presence of Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica.&#x0D; Conclusion: From the study it can be concluded that all the water samples tested positive for bacterial contamination particularly Coliforms and it was higher in untreated water. Water from the Municipality had almost all physio-chemical and bacteria parameters within the World Health Organization limits, except for turbidity which was generally above 1NTU. However, this was not the case for untreated water which in some samples contained high levels of harmful bacteria. Monitoring needs to be carried out to better understand water quality and implement counter measures. </jats:p>

Rainfall and land use impacts on water quality and communities in the Waimanu River Catchment in the South Pacific: the case of Viti Levu, Fiji

“…In Pacific Island Countries (PICs), pressures from economic development and unsustainable land use practices such as logging, deforestation, poor agricultural practices, improper sanitation facilities, and invasion of exotic species such as the water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) coupled with climate change impacts lead to floods, landslides, soil erosion, sedimentation, and consequently, freshwater quality impairment (Mirti and Davies 2005;GEF et al 2007;Boseto 2009;SPC et al 2012;Connell 2015;Singh and Railoa 2020). Higher intensity of rainfall and flooding in PICs as a result of seasonal El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events (BoM and CSIRO 2011) increases runoffs rich in nutrients and chemical fertilizers from agricultural land.…”

“…The restoration and management of natural resources such as forests throughout a catchment area are paramount for the sustainability of rivers (GEF et al 2007;Boseto 2009). Thus, execution of better land management along with the provision of proper sanitation and waste management services in rural catchment areas would prove to be a means to improve the quality of river water worldwide (DeFries and Eshleman 2004;Nilsson and Renöfält 2008;Boseto 2009;Pattison and Lane 2012;Tornevi et al 2014;de Andrade Costa et al 2020;Santy et al 2020;Singh and Railoa 2020).…”

“…The findings in this study can be generalized to other rural water catchment areas with similar features particularly in developing countries which undergo continuous landscape changes and are also susceptible to the risks from climate change. This requires better water quality monitoring methods to effectively track the consequent variations in the river water quality (Mirti and Davies 2005;Singh and Railoa 2020).…”

“…Sampling the river water on a monthly basis due to the lack of resources in Pacific Island municipalities is insufficient in providing a comprehensive foundation for an effective water management plan (Mosley et al 2004a, b;Singh and Railoa 2020). The lack of water quality data in the Pacific Islands curtails a detailed understanding of the issues pertaining to the decline in river water quality, which in turn hinders the implementation of appropriate holistic water catchment management plans (Mosley et al 2004a, b;Boseto 2009).…”