Determination of Some Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of Sewage Samples from Domestic, House-boat and Off-shore Facilities Discharge Point

Test was conducted to determine some physico- chemical and microbiological parameters from samples of sewage effluent collected from domestic, house-boat, and offshore facilities respectively at the discharge point to the recipient environment. Among the parameters determined included: Total chlorine, Biological Oxygen demand (BOD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and faecal coliform. Test results indicated that the total chlorine had values which ranged from ( 0.01-0.10)mg/l for the domestic facilities, the house-boat facilities values ranged from (0.01-0.12)mg/l. The values for the offshore facilities ranged from ( 0.01-4.0mg/l). The BOD5 values for the domestic facilities ranged from ( 0.01-240) mg/l, the house –boat facilities ranged from (45.60- 80.00)mg/l. The value of the offshore facilities was 20mg/l for all the three points tested. The result of the TSS indicated that for the domestic facilities, the values ranged from (75.0-115) mg/l, the house-boat facilities values ranged from (66-182) mg/l. and for the offshore facilities, results ranged from (60- 265) mg/l. The DO results from the domestic facilities indicated a range of (0.18-5.92) mg/l. The result from the house –boats ranged from (2.0- 2.90) mg/l, the offshore facilities results ranged from (3.21-5.32)mg/l. The faecal coliform for the domestic facilities had a value which ranged from (14-1600) cfu/100ml. the house-boat facilities values ranged from (180-290) cfu/100ml. The offshore facilities had values which ranged from (14-1600) cfu/100ml. Most of these results were higher than limits specified by the regulatory level (DPR) and an indication that the recipient environment was polluted and poses a great concern. In a place like Nigeria, where there are no sewerage treatment systems, it is indiscriminately disposed into rivers without treatment and such rivers serve as sources of drinking water. This water pollution is of great concern and has resulted to diseases such as typhoid and cholera. Therefore, proper treatment of sewage before discharging into the recipient environment is imperative.