Research Article

Bacterial Contamination of Vended Water (Meruwa) in Ogbia Main Town, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Safe drinking water is essential for human health, yet bacterial contamination remains a pervasive challenge in resource limited settings. In many Nigerian communities, households supplement or replace tap water with water purchased from informal vendors, often referred to as Meruwa, under the assumption that vended water is safer. However, limited empirical data exist to support this assumption in the Niger Delta. Objective: This study assessed the presence, types, and levels of bacterial contamination in vended water from Ogbia Main Town, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, evaluated the prevalence and distribution of bacterial species, and assessed compliance with World Health Organization drinking water standards. Methods: A total of 24 vended water samples were collected from 24 vendors. Total bacterial counts and total coliform counts were determined using the plate count method on nutrient agar and MacConkey agar, respectively. Bacterial isolates were identified through Gram staining and biochemical characterization. Compliance was assessed against WHO guidelines of 0 CFU/100 mL for coliforms and less than 500 CFU/mL for heterotrophic bacteria. Results: All samples exceeded WHO standards. Total bacterial counts ranged from 3.50 × 106 to 5.30 × 106 CFU/mL with a mean of 4.24 × 106 CFU/mL and standard deviation of ± 0.68 × 106, while total coliform counts ranged from 3.00 × 106 to 4.00 × 106 CFU/mL with a mean of 3.21 × 106 CFU/mL and standard deviation of ± 0.31 × 106. Bacterial isolates were Escherichia coli at 33.3%, Salmonella typhi at 25.0%, Klebsiella pneumoniae at 20.8%, and Citrobacter freundii at 20.8%. Enteric pathogens accounted for 79.1% of all isolates. The detection of Salmonella typhi in one-quarter of isolates represents a finding of exceptional public health significance. Compliance with WHO microbial standards was 0%. Conclusion: Vended water in the study area is universally and heavily contaminated with faecal and enteric pathogens, including Salmonella typhi. The assumption that vended water is safer than tap water is unfounded. Routine microbial monitoring, mandatory water treatment, vendor certification, and targeted hygiene interventions are urgently needed.

Authors affiliation:

Nathaniel Jack Festus: Department of Medical Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
Ijeoma Festa Ndu (ORCID): Department of Medical Microbiology, Parasitology and Immunology, Faculty of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, Nigeria.

How To Cite: N.J. Festus and I.F. Ndu. Bacterial Contamination of Vended Water (Meruwa) in Ogbia Main Town, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemical Engineering, 6(2):35–45, 2026. https://doi.org/10.58612/jafce625