ABSTRACT
This study investigated the quality of ground water in Baba I, North-West Cameroon, in order to determine its suitability for domestic uses following World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. Inhabitants of this locality consume water from these sources without any prior treatment which can lead to health problems if the water sources are contaminated. Six water sources were sampled in November 2017, January, April and July 2018 and examined for organoleptic, physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters using standard methods. Results of organoleptic and physical parameters showed that most of the sources were within the WHO acceptable limits with pH varying from moderately acidic to weakly basic. Chemical properties revealed that all the analysed ions were found within the WHO guidelines and the water sources ranged from soft (hardness < 60 mg/L) to moderately hard (60 mg/L ≤ hardness ≤ 120 mg/l), with iron slightly exceeding the WHO guideline value of 0.3 mg/L in the well of Kwebessi (Wkw) in November 2017 and July 2018. Piper’s trilinear diagrams showed that the analysed waters were calcium and magnesium bicarbonate type. Small to average seasonal influences were observed in the variations of temperature and the concentrations of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, NO3- and NH4+ (p < 0.05). Faecal coliforms and specific bacteria namely: Escherichia coli, Enterobacter, Streptococcus, Salmonella and Shigella spp, were identified in all the sampled waters, suggesting recent contamination of the sources by human or animal faeces. The sources were unfit for domestic uses and thus, exposed the local population to water borne diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea and dysentery. Hence, home treatment methods such as chlorination, filtration, boiling and solar disinfection should be implemented prior to consumption.