Microbiological analysis of water from sources of supply used in a public education institution in the city of Januária, Brazil

Abstract

Water is one of the most precious assets of the planet, because it is essential for life to exist, being a fundamental element to the development of various human activities, therefore an indispensable environmental resource, but which, on the other hand, can also transport microorganisms that are harmful to human health. Water contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms is the main source of disease transmission in developing countries, evidencing that the control of its quality for human consumption is important for the promotion of intervention measures, in order to guarantee water of good quality. The present study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality of water from the various sources of supply used in a public education institution in the city of Januária (Brazil), since, except for the public supply source, water from other sources is not submitted to analyzes that can prove its potability. In the water samples tested, the Colilert IDEXX Quanti-Tray®/2000 method was used to determine the Most Probable Number (MPN) of total bacteria, total coliforms and Escherichia coli. All water samples from artesian wells showed contamination by bacteria of the total coliform group exceeding the legal limits of potability determined by Brazilian legislation, suggesting the need of monitoring and treatment practices in order to avoid possible health risks to consumers.