ABSTRACT
Water is essential for the survival of all living organisms and acts as a universal solvent. This study aimed to assess the bacterial contamination of water tanks in the University of Benin's residence halls. Standard bacteriological techniques were employed to measure the total bacterial counts, and the bacterial isolates were characterized through morphological, biochemical methods, and sugar fermentation tests. Statistical methods were used to analyze the percentage distribution and frequency of these isolates. The study revealed that the bacterial counts ranged from 2.74±2.50 to 7.85±2.80 x 10^4 CFU/ml. The cultural, morphological, and biochemical analyses identified several bacterial species, including Bacillus sp., Shigella sp., Pseudomonas sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella sp., and Streptococcus sp. Additionally, most isolates exhibited varying levels of antibiotic resistance. Bacillus sp. showed resistance to Zinnacef, Amoxicillin, Septrin, Gentamycin, Pefloxacin, and Doxycycline. Streptococcus sp. was resistant to Doxycycline, while Staphylococcus aureus was resistant to Zinnacef, Amoxicillin, Rocephin, Streptomycin, Septrin, Gentamycin, and Doxycycline. Among the Gram-negative isolates, Pseudomonas sp. was resistant to all antibiotics except Pefloxacin, and Klebsiella sp. was resistant to Chloramphenicol, Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin, Gentamycin, and Streptomycin. These findings indicate that the water sources examined are contaminated with biological agents originating from both human and animal sources.
