Healthy status of piped and bottled waters supplied in Dar es salaam city and legislation

Abstract

The healthy status of piped and bottled waters supplied in Dar es Salaam City and legislations controlling their quality were also evaluated. Water samples collected from some sections of the city were examined for bacteriological (TC and FC), chemical (NO3 and Cl) and physical (Turbidity, color, EC and TDS) contaminants .The results showed that there was bacterial contamination observed in waters from some sections of Manzese, Magomeni and Mburahati areas and so was the case for color and nitrate content. Some water samples from Manzese were excessively turbid. pH, TDS and Cl levels varied from one section to another yet were all within the WHO/TBS standards. The deterioration of quality of piped water is attributed to leakages and damage of water pipes in the water supply systems. This is because the quality of water at post treatment stage at the Ruvu Treatment Plant and Kimara terminal tank was good. The quality of bottled water was excellent for most of the brands except for a few that had background bacteria. This shows that there is negligence in adhering to the standards. Although there are pieces of legislation protecting these two water sources it seems that there is poor enforcement of them. This may results into loss of life due to water borne diseases. It is therefore recommended that piped water must be boiled before use and there must be periodic monitoring of quality of both piped and bottled waters.