ANALYSIS OF DRINKING WATER SOURCES IN SITIO MALASA, BAMBAN

TARLAC, PHILIPPINES

Ara Tedica Nicole F. Lopez, Emilyn D. Millares, Kathryn Cheshire P. Pangilinan, Crissa Marie D. Pineda, Rafael Paolo T. Vera Cruz, Jaquelyn C. Wodi

Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy

University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila, 1015

INTRODUCTION Water is one of the most important basic necessities in human life. However, once water

is polluted, it becomes an undesirable substance dangerous to human consumption and

healthy well-being. It is imperative that the management of quality drinking water should

be carefully considered, as it is a powerful tool in determining the environmental health of

a community. Proper management of drinking water and hygiene practices are

foundations for the prevention and control of waterborne diseases.

With regard to this, worldwide safe water intake is given prime importance by every

government, however not all countries have the capacity to secure a sanitized water. The

Philippine government has tried ensuring water safety through initiating the Integral

Water Supply Program and creating the Philippine National Standards for drinking water,

a set of standards for safe drinking water. In spite of these efforts, some Filipinos still do

not have access to potable water supplies.

This study will focus on the physical, chemical, and bacteriologic analysis of drinking

water sources from Malasa, Bamban, Tarlac, an adopted community of the University of

Santo Tomas, Faculty of Pharmacy. Isolated from any modern facilities, citizens from the

mountainous region of Malasa utilize limited natural resources available to them. Among

these natural resources are four water sources, two of which are pipes connected to a

flowing creek and the other two are water pumps. These water sources were tested for

potability under the guidelines of the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water.

METHODOLOGY

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

BACTERIOLOGIC ANALYSIS

S1 S2 S3 S4

1L of samples from

four water sources

were collected in

sterile bottles.

S1 S2 S3 S4

100mL of samples

from four water

sources were collected

in sterile bottles.

Samples were forwarded to a

DOH accredited water testing

laboratory for physical and

chemical analysis.

Presumptive

Test

Samples were inoculated in different Brilliant Green

Bile Lactose Broth (BGBLB) tubes which contains

Durnham’s fermentation tube with 3 different strengths

for 24 hours at 37°C .

Confirmatory

Test

Positive BGBLB tube cultures are

transferred on Eosin Methylene Blue

(EMB) agar plates for isolation for

24 hours at 37°C

Completed

Test

Typical coliform colonies are transferred

and inoculated on single strength BGBLB

in a Nutrient agar for 24 hours at 37°C

Physical Test: The color, odor, taste,

turbidity, and total dissolved solids

(TDS) were tested.

Chemical Test: presence of Chloride,

Fluoride, Hardness, Iron, Manganese,

Nitrate, Lead, Copper, Chromium, pH,

and Sulfate were tested.

Isolated colonies from the Nutrient

Agar slant were Gram stained and

interpreted.

SAMPLE

NO.

No. of

(+) 10 ml

tubes

No. of

(+) 1 ml

tubes

No. of

(+) 0.1

ml tubes

MPN

Index/

100ml 1 (Deep

Well) 2 0 0 9

2 (Flowing

Water) 3 0 0 33

3 (Deep

Well) 3 1 0 43

4 (Flowing

Water) 3 0 0 33

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Presence of turbidity or effervescence

shows a positive result. C1 of Sample 2

and B3 of Sample 3 yielded a positive

result for this test.

BACTERIOLOGIC ANALYSIS

Sample 0.1 ml water 1 ml water 10 ml water

A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3

1 (Deep

Well) - - - - - - + + -

2 (Flowing

Water) - - - - - - + + +

3 (Deep

Well) - - - - - + + + +

4 (Flowing

Water) - - - - - - + + +

Presumptive Test

The plates inoculated from samples 2 & 3 yielded

a positive result of a green metallic sheen.

Confirmatory

Test

All samples showed a positive results with

presence of effervescence and turbidity.

Presence of gram-negative

coccobacilli indicates a presence of

coliforms in the water sample.

Samples 2 & 3 yielded positive result

in the gram stain of the colonies.

Completed

Test

The Most Probable Number Index is a

statistical expression of the number of

coliforms found in the water samples.

The acceptable MPN range of <8/100ml

is not met by any of the samples.

Based on the data and results gathered, the following conclusion is therefore presented:

The drinking water found in all four water sources is contaminated with coliforms, with Sample 3 (deep well) having the

highest MPN index. All water sources are out of normal values in terms of color; especially Sample 1 (deep well) which is also

chemically contaminated with iron. Therefore, under the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water, all water sources

from Malasa, Bamban, Tarlac are not safe for human consumption.

Based on the results of this study and conclusion gathered, the researchers would like to recommend the following:

For readers and other researchers to use another method of water testing such as membrane filtration or plate count to further

verify and test the other microorganisms that were present on the water samples that had a positive result on the presumptive

test.

Coordination with local officials to disseminate information on proper water piping supplies and drinking water potability.

ABSTRACT The main focus of this study is to analyze drinking water sources in Sitio Malasa, Bamban, Tarlac in order to determine if it contain chemical contaminants, metals and bacteria that may be harmful to the inhabitants. The Philippine National Standards for

Drinking Water was made as standard for the determination of the safety of drinking water in the affiliated community. Four water samples, originating from a deep well and flowing raw water, were carefully collected and evaluated. Residents were surveyed regarding on the specific site where they get their drinking water from. Physical and chemical tests for the samples were assessed on the parameters stated in the said decree while bacteriologic tests were done by the researchers using the Multiple Tube Fer-mentation Technique. Bacteriologic test presented that all samples tested positive in the presumptive phase and only two samples tested positive for both the confirmatory and completed phase, indicating the presence for fecal coliforms in all water sources. Furthermore, chemical tests showed that all samples surpassed the normal range for color and one sample also exceeded the normal range for turbidity and the presence of iron. Drinking water sources in the community failed the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water. Keywords: fecal coliforms, Multiple Tube Fermentation Technique, Philippine national Standards for Drinking Water, water contaminants

Color Turbidity Taste Total Dissolved

Solids Odor

RCL 5.0 TCU 5.0 NTU Unobjectionable 500.0 ppm Unobjectionable

Sample 1 256.0 TCU 33.0 NTU Objectionable 75.0 ppm Unobjectionable

Sample 2 6.0 TCU 2.0 NTU Unobjectionable 95.0 ppm Unobjectionable

Sample 3 9.0 TCU 5.0 NTU Unobjectionable 87.5 ppm Unobjectionable

Sample 4 11.0 TCU 2.0 NTU Unobjectionable 80.0 ppm Unobjectionable

Physical Test

Chemical Test

*RCL: Recommended Contamination Level

**Positive result ***Negative result

Sample Hardness F-

Cl- Fe MnO2 NO3 Pb Cu Cr SO2 pH

1 (Deep Well) - - - + - - - - - - 5.82

2 (Flowing Water) - - - - - - - - - - 6.69

3 (Deep Well) - - - - - - - - - - 6.24

4 (Flowing Water) - - - - - - - - - - 6.34

All samples showed a

positive result in the

color analysis, while

Sample 1 additionally

was positive in both

turbidity and taste tests.

Both samples 1 and 3 are positive in pH analysis. Sample 1 also proved to be chemically contaminated with iron.