Assessment Of Bacteriological Characteristics Of Surface Water Of Taylor Creek In Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Microorganisms which are ubiquitous and found in all environmental components have been identified as the main cause of infectious diseases. Water is an essential resource required for human existence. The study assessed the bacteriological characteristics of surface water of Taylor Creek in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Water samples were collected in triplicates from 5 different locations along the creek. The samples were analyzed using standard microbiological techniques. Results showed that the density of the bacteria at Obunagha, Okolobiri, Tunama, Koroama and Polaku were 4.831 ±0.2588 log cfu/ml, 5.313±0391 log cfu/ml, 4.529 ± 0.099 log cfu/ml, 5.818±0.084 log cfu/ml and 5.14±0.640 log cfu/ml, respectively for total heterotrophic bacteria count; and 4.480±0.204 log cfu/ml, 4.629±0.024 log cfu/ml, 4.291±0.088 log cfu/ml, 4.458±0.152 log cfu/ml and 4.402±0.781 log cfu/ml, respectively for Enterobacteriaceae family counts. There was a significant difference (P 0.05) across the locations. The bacteria isolates include Escherichia coli, Aeromonas, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species. The occurrence of some of these pathogens suggests that the water is unfit for domestic purposes especially drinking. Some individuals living in the communities along the creek depend on the surface water to meet their domestic needs, including cooking, washing, bathing and sometimes drinking. Therefore, there is a need to treat the water before use to make it free from pathogens.