Water quality analysis of municipality public water supply in the case of Asella town at the source of Ashebeka River, a cross-sectional study design.

Background Drinking water quality is the main concern because in developing countries like Ethiopia, where contaminated water was one of the main vehicles for the transmission of water borne diseases. Therefore, the objective of this research was to assess the physicochemical & bacteriological water quality in Asella town, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out from November, 2015 to April, 2016 G.C. 8 liter composite water samples in plastic bottles packed cold chain had been taken by the investigator from eight different sites with two round totally 192 parameters were analyzed. A standard instrument like AAS for heavy metal analysis was using APAH procedures. Statistical analysis was done by the use of software for data entry Epi info 7 & Minitab 19.2. Results The first round of laboratory had showed that mean± SD TH 59.5± 7.4 mg/L, COD 30± 25.8mg/L, calcium 15± 4.3 mg/L, magnesium 5.3± 0.9 mg/L, BOD5 3± 2.6 mg/L and Nitrate 1.5± 0.1mg/L. The result of microbial analysis was 180CFU/100ml for TF & FC, 40CFU/100ml was E.coli detected in the first study site. The second round physical analysis had showed that municipality water was colourles, odourles & tasteless. But the Mean ± SD turbidity was 32.6± 63.4 mg/L. The mean± SD pH 4.5±0.8,EC 101.8±23.1,TH 24± 2.5 mg/L, calcium 6.9± 0.8 mg/L, magnesium 1. ± 0.6 mg/L, Fluoride 0.4± 0.2mg/L, aluminum 0.3± 0.2 mg/L, DO 4.6± 1.2 mg/L, nitrate 3.3± 2.5 mg/L, nitrite 0.9± 2/5 mg/L, zinc 0.3± 0.4 mg/L, CO32- 7. ± 6 mg/l, chloride 6± 1.3 mg/L, alkalinity 6± 4.9 mg/L, total solid 96± 50.3 mg/L, TDS 62±

human water demands maximum effort should be implemented on improvement of water quality. In addition to human beings water is also the raw materials for the industries to produce different products. Agricultural actives also highly dependent on water for crop production as a solution of food security even though their quality parameter different from human water supply. Animals also require some quantity of water to enhance the existence of their life, then they can serve as a source of food especially milk and meat for human beings. Although 70% of the earth surface covered by water, only 1% of water from surface & ground water sources used for domestic water supply (1).
The surface & ground water sources highly exposed to pollutants which are generated in anthropogenic and natural sources. The laboratory analysis result of Physico-chemical parameter of sewage polluted ground water samples were EC, TH, COD, nitrate, sulphate and trace metals (2).
Fluorine is essential mineral for the strength of human tooth. Low concentration causes dental carriers while excess concentration causes tooth damage, bone fluorosis & tooth decay. Then to solve deficient or excess fluorine concentration regulating adequate fluorine concentration by the mechanism of fluoridation or de-fluoridation of water is essential for human health (3).
Total dissolved solid (TDS) is a substances that were found in a form of dissolved substances in a water sources. It includes carbonates, bicarbonates, chlorides, sulphate, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, nitrate, sodium, potassium, and iron. It is a term used to describe the inorganic salt and small amount of organic matter present in solution form of water. The principal constituents are usually calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium metals, carbonate, hydrogen carbonate, chloride, sulphate and nitrate. It has been reported that drinking water with extremely low concentration of TDS may be unacceptable because of its flat insipid taste(4).
The acceptable limit of Ca++ & Mg++ for domestic use is 75 mg/L & 200 mg/L respectively. Calcium & magnesium have important function for bone growth. Researches and studies proved that water with low magnesium can cause increased morbidity and mortality for cardiovascular disease, higher risk of motor neuronal disease, pregnancy disorders and preeclampsia. Water with low concentration of calcium may be associated with higher risk of fracture in children, certain neurodegenerative diseases, preterm birth and low weight at birth. Lack of both calcium and magnesium in water can also cause some types of cancer (5).
In developing countries water related diseases prevail as major public health problems. As literature pointed in the year 2000 (6), 4 billion diarrheal cases happened to caused 5.7% of deaths in the worldwide. The main causes of water borne diseases were faecal contamination that discharges from human beings as a result of poor waste management practices. Therefore, regular microbial testing of drinking water is a major task to confirm the absence of diseases pathogen (3).
The research done In Pakistan 2010 had shown that due to the sanitation & water line system damaged by flood water, then the laboratory investigation of E.coli in swat & sucker village were 76% & 96 % respectively (7). The access to potable water supply in developing countries might be very low so they need to rely on unsafe water supply sources like shallow & bore wells besides to surface water sources like river water which is highly exposed for water pollution due to natural & man made process (8).
The effective measures to improve the quality of water obtained from varies sources is to treat water by the use of house hold water treatment system in addition to conventional water treatments handle by municipality water offices to eliminate microbial contaminants of water in order to save the life of people from infection of water borne diseases mostly in developing countries (9).
As a principle sanitary system of excreta disposal & access to safe water to the community is a basic human necessities, though the majority of developing countries lack off this facilities, so that they exposed to water borne diseases (10). In the world Eight hundred eighty four million people get their water from unimproved water sources. From this data, one third was found in sub-Saharan African countries. The population number in these countries increases from day to day, so their waste generated poorly managed finally pollute water sources (11).
Water contaminated with wastes especially which contains excreta of human & animal's was at great risk to public health due to microbial concerns. Lots of pathogenic microbes found in human faeces which contain pathogens of intestines of the gastro-enteritis like dysentery, typhoid and cholera. It has been found that the main victims of diarrhea are due to faecal-route disease transmission. The incidence rate of diarrhea was 4.6 billion episodes occur & causes every year 2.2 million deaths (12).
It has been found that the main victims of diarrhea are due to faecal-route disease transmission.
Diarrhea also found to be the main source of infectious diseases (13).The microbial load of water is determined by the assessment of total & faecal coliform organisms (14). The foundations of these organisms were an indication of water contaminated by faecal pathogens especially human faeces.
Drinking water taken from unimproved raw water sources are more liable to faecal pathogens than protected water sources (15). The most common pathogens identified in contaminated water was Vibrio and Salmonella bacteria, bacillary and amoebic dysentery, and acute infection diarrhea caused by E. coli bacteria (16). Water that were contaminated with these microbial pathogens ingested causes death of children in developing countries (17).
Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan African countries that had low water & sanitation coverage. More than 80% of communicable diseases in Ethiopia were hygiene related diseases results from lack of adequate & safe water supply & sanitation services. The human waste discharge to the environment & contaminated water sources. Thus unimproved water sources was at great risk of contaminated with disease causing pathogens (18).
The rationale /Significance of the study The Oromia regional state is one of the largest regions of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Asella, the town of Arsi zone found in this region, was exposed to a high risk environment in many aspects, like deficiency of pure water supply. Thus, this assessment is therefore essential and welltimed as public health issues like pure water supply are crucial in such environments especially among peoples in Asella town. Finally, assessing the quality of municipality water supply will have a dual benefit to the concerned governmental authorities, stakeholders, partnership and community beneficiaries at large. It helps to probe the grounds for the threat; helps to set and develop programs and strategies based on the study area's setup.

General objective
The objective of this research was to assess the physicochemical & bacteriological water quality in Asella town, Ethiopia.

Specific objectives
To test physical quality of drinking water To analyses chemical quality of municipality water supply To examine bacteriological load of Asella town water supply Methods Study area and period Asella town is located 175kilometers away southeast from Addis Ababa the capital city of Ethiopia.
The city has a latitude, longitude and Altitude of 7°57'25.21"N,39°07'56.02"E&2,430meters respectively (19). According to 2007 population census data the town has a total population of 68,269 among which 33,826 were men and the rest 33,443 were women; 67.43% of the population

Sample collection
Water samples had been collected from preselected sites at monthly intervals in the morning hours. eight composite water samples had been collected in plastic bottles, pre-cleaned by washing & rinsing in tap water, sanitize with 1:1 hydrochloric acid and finally with pure tap water. The actual sampling had been collected by taking from each sampling sites. The samples then transported in cold boxes containing ice to Water Works Design and Supervision Enterprise for laboratory analysis within four hours intervals from the collection sites. The total study was repeated twice to confirm the determination of water quality indicator impurities based on the results of laboratory analysis.

Sample size
Eight composite water samples had been collected from eight different sites with two rounds. 12*4=48 water quality parameter for first round & 24*6=144 water quality parameters for second round A total of 192 water quality parameter had been carried out at Addis Ababa water & sewerage laboratory.

Reliability & validity
Water samples had been collected by health professional including medical laboratory technologist.
All samples were transported to analysis laboratory before four hours. Before starting any water sample collection three days sensitization training was provided by principal investigators for data collectors.

Sampling Technique
The study had been repeated for two rounds. The study also supported by sanitary survey handling for four days to collect on site information by filling the check list by BSc level health professionals.

Result
The first round of laboratory had showed that mean± SD TH 59.5± 7.4 mg/L, COD 30± 25.8mg/L, calcium 15± 4.3 mg/L, magnesium 5.3± 0.9 mg/L, BOD5 3± 2.6 mg/L and Nitrate 1.5± 0.1mg/L, The percent mean distribution of chemical water quality increases in the order of nitrite, phosphate, ammonia & nitrate in the study sites of Asella tow respectively figure 2.
Site figure 2 The highest percent mean concentration of chemical water quality identified was total hardness (TH)   The thresh hold limit for calcium 100-300mg/L while lower for magnesium (3). The finding of calcium was 6.4-8mg/L & magnesium 0.6-1.9 mg/L in Asella town. similar studies in Nigeria ranged 3.1±0.26mg/L to 1524±131.06 mg/L for calcium & 21±0.59mg/L to 1375±38.5 mg/L for magnesium ground water (28) . The finding of this study was too much lower than with Nigerian ground water, this might be the ground water concentration of metals is higher than surface water sources.
The WHO standard for fluoride concentration is 1.5m g/L. the result of this investigation in all sites was below this standard. Low fluoride centration causes tooth decay. Similar study on boreholes in Nigeria ranged 0.13-0.92 mg/L(23), which was higher than Asella municipality water supply. The difference might be due to ground water had greater fluorine concentration than river water.
Use full water quality test like alkalinity & electrical conductivity tests result indicate the existence of metals in water supply of Asella town.
The health based guide line value for dissolved oxygen were not proposed (3) Asella municipality water supply result was higher than Malaysian River water sources.
The pathogenic microbes detected in drinking water must be less than one organism per 104 to 105 liters ( (24), which were lower than Asella municipality water supply findings.
The ammonia concentration throughout the study sites was above WHO recommends to occur until 0.2mg/L (3) for surface water from site 2 to site 5. The finding of ammonia availability was an Pre-equation have to be taken while coagulation process to reduce excess coagulant usage.
Regular washing of water reservoir tankers have to be monitored by water organization offices.
The leaking metal pipes will be changed by plastic pipes may reduce the pollution load.
The town health office professionals have to teach about water quality improvement methods.
Homemade water treatment will have to practice by urban community to reduce post contamination of water pollutants.

Limitation of the study
This study also had not included commercially prepared bottled water supply for urban consumers.
The study also limited about the individual house hold water storage tankers. Since the study was carried out on water sample analysis in Asella town the sample was not taken from humans or animals including plants. Therefore "Not applicable"

Consent to publish
To come to visualize the scientific world the status of water quality in Asella town for serving of the underdeveloped world population in case of Asella town how much exposed to water borne diseases.
Availability of data and materials    Figure 1 Water sampling site Asella town of Arsi zone, Oromia, Ethiopia Mean nutrient water quality analysis in Asella town water supply, April, 2015 Mean nutrient water quality analysis in Asella town water supply, April, 2015 The mean physicochemical water quality analysis Asella town, March, 2016