Assessment of Bacteriological Quality of Drinking Water and its Gastrointestinal Health Effects on Residents of Vadodara City

Aims: 
The present study was conducted to assess the gastrointestinal health effects and other health effects due to consumption of drinking water, to analyze the water quality parameters (bacteriological and free residual chlorine), and to find out the methods of purification of water at household level and hand washing technique among people in urban Vadodara.
Materials and Methods: 
A cross-sectional study was carried out at urban Vadodara city. 2609 participants were included in the study from among 720 households. 60 households from each selected water tank area were included. Interviews were conducted to know the health effects of water as well as method of purification, hand-washing technique, and the history of gastrointestinal problems. Thirty-eight water samples were tested hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) strip test and multiple tube method.
Results: 
4.21% had history of diarrhea in the last 2 weeks. 0.99% had typhoid and 0.65% had history of Jaundice in the past year. H₂S Strip test was Negative and no single coliform was found in all 38 water samples. The free chlorine levels in all the tanks were found to be higher than the normal levels. 43.05% participants were using simple cloth or sieve for purification of water followed by 35.97% participants were using reverse osmosis. 14.25% participants were not washing hands before cooking while 5.13% participants were not washing hands after going toilet.
Conclusion: 
Supplied drinking water was bacteriologically safe. Despite that history of diarrhea, typhoid and jaundice was found in the study area.