Microbiological quality of packaged bottled water and public water supply in Ibadan, Nigeria

Bacteriological assessment of five samples of bottled water marketed in Ibadan, Nigeria and same number of public tap water supply (other wise called tap water) in Ibadan city was carried out. The samples were tested for bacterial cells counts, presumptive coliform count and the isolates were characterised using selective media according to standard methods. While none of the bottled water samples contained coliforms, all the tap water samples contained coliforms which ranged from 4 to 80/100ml. Micro-organisms such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphyloccus aureus and Escherichia coli were found in tap water samples while Staphyloccus aureus was found in bottled water samples. It was concluded from the study that while bottled water appears to be better than tap water from the bacteriological point of view, the former may not be entirely wholesome as it can still harbour some micro-organisms. Keywords : bottled water, tap water, microbiological quality, bacteriological assessment, microorganisms Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology Vol. 5(1&2) 2005: 1-4