Metagenomic analysis of bacterial diversity in potable water and ice pop samples from Juja: Implications for public health

Abstract

Determining the diversity of microbiomes in potable water systems is considered a major health risk in the absence of public health inspection programs. Deterioration of water quality is still a health menace despite efforts made to improve water infrastructures and drinking water distribution systems, especially in developing countries. This study aimed to assess the microbial diversity in three types of water samples: Water samples (collected from taps and water refill dispensers), commercialized water samples (water vendors), and Value-Added Water (ice pop vendors). A total of 45 samples were purposively collected during the study, and the total DNA of the samples was extracted using the Phenol -Chloroform technique. Illumina sequencing technology was employed by targeting the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene, and the sequencing data was analyzed using QIIME2 and R software. Proteobacteria was the most dominant phylum, followed by Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, whereas Actinobacteria was the least dominant. The dominant genus was Pseudomonas, followed by Serratia, Stenotrophomonas, and Klebsiella, while the least dominant genus included Staphylococcus, Ensifer, and Sporosarcina. Opportunistic bacterial genera such as Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Enterococcus, Serratia, and Burkholderia were present in the different samples. The complex microbiota in different sampling sites in this study highlights ongoing concerns about water quality that impact human and animal health. Data on microbial diversity is important to public health stakeholders as it helps project health risks associated with the safety of drinking water. The findings of this research offer essential baseline data for understanding the microbial composition of drinking water across source water and distribution systems, supporting efforts to improve water quality and safety.