Assessment and improvement of water quality of some drinking water supply systems in Koutaba sub-division, West Region Cameroon

ISSAH NJI MONGOU. M ^1,2*,**, RODRIGUE FOTIE. L¹, PAUL FOTSEU. W³

¹Green Heart International (GHI), P.O. Box 1450 Bafoussam, Cameroon, info@ghiafrica.org

²West Regional Delegation of Water Resources and and Energy, P.O. Box 1057, Bafoussam, Cameroon, mineemifi@yahoo.fr

³Laboratoire d’Analyses medicales  de Baleng, P.O. Box 228, Bafoussam, Cameroon, fotseupaul@yahoo.com                                                  

Abstract: From January to March 2017, the Green Heart International (GHI) Association with the support of the Baleng laboratory, carried out an assessment of water quality of five water supply systems mainly supplying the town center in Koutaba Council, West Region Cameroon. Water from those systems was subject to physicochemical and bacteriological analyzes carried out according to the methodologies recommended by Rodier (2009). Also, a diagnosis carried out made it possible to identify the main sources of pollution as well as adequate solutions to improve water quality. Bacteriologically, the water from two systems was found to be unfit for consumption as it was contaminated with Escherichia coli. On the physicochemical level, all the water samples analyzed were in compliance with the standards. The diagnosis revealed a lack of a simplified water treatment system in all systems, whose operation comes down to pumping, storage and distribution without any treatment. Similarly, there is no protection perimeter around the water catchment points and there has been open defecation and excessive grazing throughout the municipality. At the end of our study, recommendations aimed at improving the water quality have been formulated to the municipal executive and the local populations.

Keywords : Water, Quality, Assessment, Improvement