International Journal of Research and Review Vol.7; Issue: 5; May 2020 Website: www.ijrrjournal.com Original Research Article E-ISSN: 2349-9788; P-ISSN: 2454-2237 Assessment of Water and Excreta Sanitation in Owerri Municipal and Owerri North Local Government Area, Imo State, Southeast, Nigeria Orji S.M1; Ede A.O2; Onwuagba C.G3; Nwazunku A.A2; Okorie P.C3, Abonyi I.C2 1Department of Public Health, School of Health Technology; Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State 2Department of Environmental Health Science, Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nnewi Campus 3Department of Environmental Management Technology, School of Environmental Management Technology; Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State 4Department of Dental Technology, Federal College of Dental Technology and Therapy, Enugu Corresponding Author: Ede A.O ABSTRACT sanitation related diseases from wastewater and excreta management. The laboratory result of Background: In many developing countries, drinking water from different villages indicated access to water supply and sanitation remains the presence of heavy growth of bacteria low and the need to provide both improved (staphylococcus, streptococcus and salmonella) water supply and safe means of excreta disposal as observed using Macconkey Agar media. is the concern of every developing country. This In conclusion, the findings of this study showed paper aimed at assessing the water and excreta the presence of bacteria in water supply. sanitation status in Owerri zone, Imo state. Therefore, the community needs to be educated Methods: The study employed a descriptive on the importance of maintaining clean and technique that involves the assessment of the hygienic environment around the boreholes to sanitary conditions of studied areas. The study ensure the safety of water from such borehole. focused on sample size of 400 respondents to get information on water and excreta sanitation. Key words: Bacteria, Excreta, MacConkey agar, Microbial analysis of water supply was Sanitation, and Water supply. examined to identify the presence of bacteria. The total heterotrophic bacteria plate counts INTRODUCTION (HPC) in the water samples were obtained using Access to water supply and practice the standard pour plate technique. The data was of excreta sanitation is a fundamental right analyzed using descriptive statistical analysis to every individual. In domestic hygiene, and results were presented in frequency, proper excreta disposal and safe water percentage and charts. supply are essential for protecting public Results: The results of the study showed that [1] 125(62.5%) were males from Owerri North health. National Water Sanitation Policy, (ON) and 113(56.5%) from Owerri Municipal defined access to water as the percentage of (OM). Source of water supply, 80(40%) in ON the population that uses drinking water from reported that water supply source was far from improved sources while access to excreta is the individual houses; and 144(72%) in OM the percentage of population that uses safe supported the idea. In hand washing after excreta disposal facilities, whereas access to defecation, 180(90%) agreed from ON and sanitation is the percentage of the 170(85%) agreed from OM. In Owerri North population that uses improve water and Municipal, 120(60%) and 110(55%) had sanitation. Generally, access to water can be malaria which was the most common type of International Journal of Research and Review (ijrrjournal.com) 67 Vol.7; Issue: 5; May 2020 Orji S.M et.al. Assessment of water and excreta sanitation in Owerri municipal and Owerri north local government area, Imo state, southeast, Nigeria stated as having a source of safe water conditions must not have any unacceptable within 1 kilometer of the dwelling. It is impact on the environment. estimated that in 2015, 663 million people The consequences for children when still lacked access to “improved” drinking they are denied the most basic rights to safe water sources. Improved sources are those water, the dignity of using toilet and the deemed to be relatively protected from simple practice of washing of hands with contamination and, therefore, likely to soap are diarrhea occurrence, skin disease, provide water safe for human consumption respiratory illness such as pneumonia, and household use, such as piped water intestinal illness and other water borne and supplies into the house, yard, boreholes or excreta-related disease. protected wells or springs. [2] Alexander, [7] stated that every year An estimated 2.6 billion people or an estimate of one million Africans die from 39% of the world population lack access to diseases related to unsafe drinking water, improved facilities for the disposal of poor sanitation and poor hygiene. Thus, the human excreta. [3] Also, WHO and UNICEF inadequacy of safe water and improved Joint monitoring programme for water excreta sanitation services is manifested in supply and sanitation gave an estimate of the increased rate of diseases due to water 768 million people who are still use unsafe and sanitation. The health burden of drinking water sources and the number of diseases mostly falls disproportionately on people practicing open defecation decreased young children where diarrheal illness a little by over one billion people that accounts for 20% of death among children practice open defecation and this still under age of five [8] and other illness due to represent 15% of the global population. [4] chemical contamination of water placing Sanitation is important to human people at risk of a host of diarrhoeal. [9,10] health and it generates economic benefits The health problems associated with water and contributes to social development of a and sanitation was pivoted on poor country. [5] In this regards, sanitation can be education on the importance of sanitary seems as a process of creating barriers to behaviour in regard to hygiene practice (as prevent the transmission of disease agents washing of hands after defecation and anal through a sustained hygiene and healthy cleaning) as a means of safe health. [11] environment. In this study context, Proper excreta disposal and safe water will sanitation is regarded as the provision of minimized the levels of money spent on facilities and services for the safe disposal health because of illness from preventable of human urine and faeces. Rochester [6] diseases such as diarrhoea. viewed sanitation as the process capable of United Nations [5] opined that mitigating the number of microbial Nigeria is one of the top five countries in contaminants to a relatively safe level. the world that practice open defecation. The Generally, sanitation refers to the principles statistics recorded that over 100 million and practices relating to the collection, Nigerians have no access to improved removal or disposal of human excreta, sanitation facilities such as latrines and household waste water and refuse as they toilets, while about 33 millions Nigerians impact upon health and the environment. [1] defecate openly because there are no Good sanitation can be viewed as sanitation facilities in public places. [5] appropriate health and hygiene awareness Therefore, this study has its aim as to assess among people and its positive influence in the water and excreta sanitation status in behaviour which is capable to sustain Owerri North and Owerri Municipal in Imo sanitation services such as disposing of state. human excreta; house hold waste water and refuse in a manner that is acceptable and affordable to the users. And the above International Journal of Research and Review (ijrrjournal.com) 68 Vol.7; Issue: 5; May 2020 Orji S.M et.al. Assessment of water and excreta sanitation in Owerri municipal and Owerri north local government area, Imo state, southeast, Nigeria MATERIALS AND METHODS test statistics was used to determine the The research design employed in influence variables at the significant level of this study was a descriptive study to assess 0.05. the water and excreta sanitation status in Owerri North LGA and Owerri Municipal in RESULTS Imo state. The study was carried out at The results of the data collected randomly selected autonomous communities were gathered and interpreted as shown in (Emekuku, Mbaoma, Hite Ogada, Naze, and tables below (Tables 1,2,3,4 and 5) and Awaka) from Owerri North and figures (1 and 2). Table 1 presented the communities (Ama Awomm, Uum Ochi, socio-demographic characteristics of the Umu Onyeche, Umu Ororonjo and Umu respondents assessed on excreta and oyima) in Owerri Municipal. A sample of wastewater management in Owerri North 400 questionnaires was administered in each and Owerri Municipal in Imo State where of the five communities and 10 households each LGA contributed 200 respondents were randomly selected for the collection of each, 125(62.5%) were males from Owerri 40 water samples for analysis. North (ON) and 113(56.5%) were males The laboratory procedures for water from Owerri Municipal (OM). For females, samples collection, the collection was 75(37.5%) were from ON while 87(43.5%) obtained from different boreholes. To were from OM. ensure the sterility of the samples, the For age of the respondents, less than borehole taps were sterilized by means of 30 years came from Owerri North and lighters, after which the taps were opened to Municipal with 95(47.5%) and 83(41.5%) flow for 1 to 2 min. Then the plastic bottle respectively. Ages between 31-40 years had were filled with water up to 200ml leaving 75(37.5%) in ON; 71(35.5%) in OM, some space to allow shaking before between within 41-50 years and 51 -60 analysis, the collected samples were years had no difference of 12(6%) in ON delivered to the laboratory. but not the same in OM as 19(9.5%) and In the laboratory, the culture media 14(7%) respectively. The highest used include Nutrient agar, Chocolate agar, educational attainment was secondary as and MacConkey agar.