Assessment of Drinking Water Quality Served in Different Restaurants at Islam Nagor Road Adjacent to Khulna University Campus, Bangladesh

Abstract

Potable water is a growing requirement for sound health as contaminated water and water-borne pathogens pose serious health risks to human beings. Considering this issue, the current study aimed to assess the drinking water quality served in different restaurants close to the Khulna University campus in Bangladesh. A total number of ten drinking water samples were collected from different restaurants. Afterward, the collected water samples were analyzed to examine the physico-chemical properties and microbiological contamination of the water samples. Besides, microbial properties such as Total Coliform (TC), Fecal Coliform (FC), and E. coli were analyzed by the Membrane Filtration (MF) technique. The findings suggest that all the physico-chemical attributes were within the permissible limits regarding recommended Bangladesh standards and WHO guidelines. But in case of EC, 40% of the samples exceeded the WHO permissible limits and for sodium, 10% of samples exceeded both the BD and WHO standards. In addition, the results disclosed that the drinking water served in different restaurants was contaminated by TC, FC, and E. coli. It is observed that 100% of the samples were contaminated by TC and FC whereas 70% of the samples were contaminated by E. coli. Consequently, it is clearly evident that the water is considered suitable with respect to physico-chemical analysis but this drinking water is unfit for consumption while taking into account its microbiological quality. The total coliform, fecal coliform, and E. coli count attests to the fact that anyone can become harmed at any moment by ingesting water from roadside restaurants. Finally, due to bacterial contamination, the served drinking water in these places doesn’t meet safe and suitable water excellence, therefore, consumption of this water is deleterious to public health.