Abstract

More than 80% of the population of the peri-urban area of Yaoundé (Cameroon), do not have access to drinking water and resort to wells, springs and rivers to satisfy this need. The bacteriological quality of such water sources is doubtful because of their proximity to both point and diffuse sources of pollution and can thus present public health risks. In order to evaluate the bacteriological quality of water in peri-urban areas of Yaounde, samples were taken from springs, wells and rivers and analyzed according to World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. Results showed that the total colony count is diversified: Acinetobacter sp,Citrobacter sp, Enterobacter sp, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli,Klebsiella pneumonia, Levinea sp, Proteus vulgaris and Pseudomonas sp are present. Faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci are abundant reaching 34053±94225.5 and 15107.6±50515 CFU/100 ml respectively. These results show that the bacteriological quality of water points of precarious quarters in Yaoundé belongs to class D according to WHO. This level of pollution indicates a significant degradation of the water and emphasises the need for developing appropriate sanitation strategies.

Key words: Coliforms, pollution, public health, Streptococci, Yaoundé.