Physico-chemical and Bacteriological Characteristics of the Drinking Water of the Aguégués Lake District in the Lower Ouémé Valley - Benin

Water is an essential resource for life on earth and is the source of several microbiological and toxicological diseases. The Aguégués one of the communes of the lower valley of Ouémé-Benin are very exposed to these type of diseases. Pathogens swarm in a highly polluted environment because of the peculiarity of this predominantly aquatic area. This is what justifies this research, which aims to assess the quality of drinking water for the populations of the Commune des Aguégués. The research technique focused on the field survey which made it possible to identify the different sources of water supply used by the population. Likewise, the physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of these water sources has been determined. These research techniques have made it possible to discover that the population of Aguégués uses several sources of water. Apart from the recommended sources (National Water Company of Benin and Village Water Supply) the populations use other sources of water. These are rainwater consumed in the rainy season by 97% of the households surveyed, surface water used by 78.26% of the population, especially during flood periods for various uses. Physico-chemical and bacteriological analyzes have shown that apart from SONEB waters only available in the districts of Zoungamey and Houédomey, the other sources of water have parameters which do not comply with WHO standards. This justifies the prevalence of diarrheal diseases in the study environment, which represents the second cause of consultation in health centers.