A Preliminary Investigation of Physicochemical and Microbiological Parameters of Natural Springs Found in Linden, Guyana

A spring is a feature of the hydrosphere where water moves from below the earth's surface to the surface. Spring water is an essential source of water for consumption, agricultural, and industrial needs. The distribution and actions of humans in a given place are determined by the availability of water. Our rising population is putting significant demands on the natural freshwater supply. The waters, however, are occasionally subjected to different types of contaminants, namely agricultural, industrial, and residential pollution. Investigating the water quality of springs is a crucial step in advocating their public use. The goal of this research is to investigate the microbiological and physicochemical quality characteristics of drinking water from springs. The research technique includes field sampling and laboratory testing of water quality parameters using standard procedures. A total of five natural springs are included in the research area. A total of ten samples were gathered from the five springs and each sample's physicochemical and microbiological characteristics were analyzed. Then, using international quality standards (WHO), the parameters were analyzed viz., pH, Turbidity, Total Dissolved Solids, Dissolved Oxygen, E. coli and Total Coliforms. The majority of the physicochemical characteristics examined are found to be within permissible limits. However, the pH of several samples is below the recommended standard. According to the results, a large percentage of the samples (80%) are severely contaminated by microbes, while one spring (20% of samples) poses no threat to consumers.