A Case Study on Bacteriological and Physiochemical Evaluation of Hospitals Drinking Water in Pakistan

Background: Seventy percent of the Earth is covered by water, out of which only 1% is fresh water. This fresh water can be used for drinking and other domestic uses. However, a drastic increase in the industrial revolution resulted in depletion of the reservoirs and contamination of the potable fresh water. Around 3.4 M deaths per annum occur as a result of waterborne diseases. Objectives: Therefore, the aim of this study is to establish physical, chemical, and biological parameters for evaluating contamination in the drinking water of hospitals in the Bannu and Kohat divisions, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Method: Eleven different hospitals were selected for the collection of water samples. Total solids, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, and pH were considered significant physical metrics for this study. The essential and heavy metals were also quantified. Furthermore, biological parameters such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) content of drinking water were also studied by using membrane filtration. Results: The results show that E. coli were detected in nine out of the eleven water samples. Moreover, some of the physicochemical parameters were not within guideline limits specified by the World Health and other international organizations. Conclusion: E coli in most of the hospital drinking water was more than the WHO permissible level of the physiochemical parameters. This will have adverse effects on the health of patients which is a serious threat for the population. Therefore, this investigation provides useful information to the government to take special precautions for maintaining the quality of the potable water in government and private hospitals.