Assessment of water quality along river Malaba in eastern Uganda

Abstract

The aim of the study was to assess the extent of pollution in River Malaba, which traverses Malaba Town Council. It involved determining the quality of the water in the River before, within and after Malaba town. The study involved physical survey of Malaba town, administering questionnaires, and characterizing the water samples picked from the River before, within and after the town. The study showed that runoff and wastewater from various anthropogenic activities including; cultivated areas (e.g., maize and sugar cane), grass land, commercial areas (customs offices, market, trading center, Abattoir), mix up and drain into the river, with few defined channels. These give rise to diffuse sources of pollution to River Malaba which influences water quality. Results for water quality analysis of the River around Malaba town showed that Total Suspended Solids (TSS) ranged from 375.8 ± 72.8 to 482.6 ± 90.1 mg/L; five day Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), 35.11 ± 4.69 to 56.80 ± 9.86 mg/L, Feacal Coliforms (FC), 3967 ± 814 to 4917 ± 938 CFU/100mL; and Feacal Streptococci (FS), 1830 ± 748 to 3026 ± 1094 FCU/100mL. Analysis showed that there was pollution from Malaba town entering River Malaba. Pollutants were mainly attributed to poor disposal of human waste along the River due to lack of enough pit latrines coupled with poor planning, high water table, and the failure to respect and conserve the River’s buffer zones. Feacal streptococci and Feacal coliforms pollution were significant during dry season due to the large volumetric flow of the river that effectively dilutes the pollutants during wet season, unlike in the dry season. This is a big concern to the community within and around Malaba town as it threatens human health, attributable to water borne diseases like cholera, typhoid fever and dysentery. There is therefore, need to educate people about the dangers of disposing human waste along River banks. The town council authority should also increase accessibility to more improved latrines in the area.