ASSESSMENT OF BOILING AS A WATER PURIFICATION METHOD AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF DOMESTIC WATER TREATMENT OPTIONS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES: A CASE STUDY OF OBAZAGBON COMMUNITY, BENIN CITY, EDO ST

In rural areas, water contamination remains a major public health concern, exposingresidents to chemical and microbiological pollutants that can cause severe illnesses. Many households rely on untreated water sources such as wells, boreholes, and rivers, which often contain pathogenic microorganisms and elevated levels of heavy metals exceeding recommended safety limits. This study evaluates boiling as a low-cost, effective domestic water purification method, alongside other household treatment options such as filtration, coagulation, chemical disinfection, and distillation. Water samples were collected from the Obazagbon Community and analyzed in the laboratory to assess physico-chemical and microbiological parameters both before and after treatment. A multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework was applied to rate each purification method based on cost, effectiveness, feasibility, simplicity, sustainability, and accessibility. The results demonstrated that boiling significantly reduced microbial contamination, including total coliforms and E. coli, bringing bacterial counts well within the acceptable limits set by WHO and NSDWQ. Specifically, total coliform counts decreased from 149 CFU/ml (Sample A) and 153 CFU/ml (Sample B) to non-detectable levels, and E. coli was completely eliminated from the treated samples. In terms of chemical pollutants, boiling had limited impact. Levels of dissolved metals such as zinc (1.738 mg/L initially reduced to 1.520 mg/L), iron (0.798–0.801 mg/L), cadmium (0.015–0.018 mg/L), and lead (0.063–0.065 mg/L) remained largely unchanged after boiling, highlighting that thermal treatment primarily targets microbial contaminants and cannot remove dissolved chemical pollutants. Physicochemical parameters such as pH remained within safe limits (6.20–6.23 post-treatment). The persistence of metals is attributable to the geological composition of water sources and potential contamination from human activities, including agricultural runoff, poor waste management, and corroded plumbing systems. Overall, the study confirms that boiling is a highly effective method for microbial disinfection