The quality of water in small community supplies of Kingolwira village, Morogoro, Tanzania

Water quality is an important aspect in human health, as the majority of infectious diseases that cause morbidity and mortality in population are water related. The present study was undertaken to assess the quality of water in Kingolwira, Morogoro Rural District, Tanzania. Water was collected from different sites in the village and analysed for a period of six months. Physical, chemical and microbiological qualities of water were examined. The pH of the water ranged from 7.02 to 7.20 and the water temperature ranged from 25.7°C to 27.0°C. The total dissolved solids of the water samples ranged from 110 to 510 ppm. The water contained considerable levels of lead and copper ranging from 0.034 to 0.090 ppm and 0.022 to 0.030 ppm, respectively. Total water hardness ranged from 19.60 to 228.10 ppm as calcium carbonate. The total viable counts and faecal coliform counts ranged from 2.75x103 to 5.4 x 103 c.f.u/ml and 0.93 x102 to 2.1x102 counts/100ml, respectively. Overall, water supplies in the village were judged as of poor quality. Water is usually used for domestic purposes including cooking, drinking, washing and preparation of infant foods without any treatment. In conclusion therefore, water in Kingolwira village is of poor quality and needs to be treated before consumption. Theres is also a need for the rural population to be educated on hazards of using untreated water. In general, sanitary facilities in rural areas in Tanzania need to be improved in order to avoid health hazards.