Assessment of bacterial profile of drinking water from different sources in Nekemte and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern, Western Ethiopia – Nature com 18:51 

Assessment of bacterial profile of drinking water from different sources in Nekemte and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern, Western Ethiopia

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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Abstract

Safe drinking water is essential for public health, yet microbial contamination remains a challenge in developing countries. This study evaluated the physicochemical and bacteriological quality of drinking water from 30 sites in Nekemte town, Western Ethiopia, including protected/unprotected springs, tap water, and bottled water. A total of 90 samples (triplicates per site) were followed across different seasons. The APHA (2017) and WHO (2021) drinking water standards were compared in the analysis of physicochemical parameters, including pH, temperature, turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solids (TSS), and electrical conductivity (EC). The pour plate was used for bacteriological analysis. Total coliforms, fecal coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, and heterotrophic plate counts were counted. Bacterial isolates were typed to the genus level using standard biochemical tests. The antibiotic sensitivity test was conducted by Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method on Mueller–Hinton agar according to guidelines of CLSI (2012) employing antibiotic discs (10–30 µg) and Escherichia coli ATCC 25,922 as the control. Physicochemical parameters of all samples fell within WHO acceptable limits (pH: 5.13–6.83; TDS: 28–120.5 mg/L). Yet, bacteriological testing showed contaminant levels above safe levels in both spring and tap water samples. Mean total coliform counts varied between 1.04 ± 0.12 to 3.58 ± 0.21 CFU/100mL (ANOVA, p < 0.05). The bacterial isolates totaled 57, with the majority being Staphylococcus (26.3%), Pseudomonas (19.3%), and Salmonella (15.8%). Interestingly, 41.7% of the isolates were antibiotic resistant to E. coli. In conclusion, the study confirms that most of the water sources in Nekemte Town are not microbiologically safe for consumption. The study portrays the urgent necessity for improved water treatment, improved community hygiene, and frequent microbial pollution monitoring and antibiotic resistance for public protection.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Food Safety and Anthropology Division, Food Microbiology, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addia Ababa, EthiopiaDesalegn Amenu & Waktole Gobena
  2. Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, EthiopiaTemesgen Tafesse

Contributions

Desalegn Amenu: Conceptualization, methodology, supervision, and manuscript drafting.Waktole Gobena: Data collection, laboratory analysis, and initial manuscript preparation.Temesgen Tafesse: Data analysis, interpretation, and critical review of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Desalegn Amenu.

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Amenu, D., Gobena, W. & Tafesse, T. Assessment of bacterial profile of drinking water from different sources in Nekemte and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern, Western Ethiopia. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-49165-z

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