EVALUATION OF HYGIENE STATUS AND QUALITY OF DRINKING WATER FROM HOUSEHOLD IN UHOLOR COMMUNITY. BENIN CITY, EDO STATE

Access to safe drinking water remains one of the most critical public health challenges in Nigeria, where millions lack reliable sources. Rapid urbanization and inadequate waste management have contributed to the documented water quality challenges in Benin City. However, data on specific localities such as the Uholor community is scarce. In this study, an assessment of drinking water quality based on physicochemical and microbiological parameters was made. Observational checklists were also used to assess environmental conditions and hygiene practices at the household levels. Results have shown that sachet water is the main source of drinking water in the study area, at 52.5%, followed by boreholes at 41.6%. Another high-risk finding is that as many as 69.4% of the households do not treat water before drinking. Though a majority of the respondents, 89.1%, reported the use of flush toilets, environmental sanitation among households is poor 70.3%. The hygiene practices also showed a gap between knowledge and action, as while 91.9% of the respondents were "very" or "somewhat" aware of WASH importance, only 17% reported always using soap to wash their hands. Additionally, 24.6% of households "rarely" clean their water storage containers, entailing a risk of re-contamination. 31.7% of those reporting health issues cited poor taste of water, while 35.4% of households reported illness related to water in the last six months, predominantly Typhoid, 74.3%. The study finds that the community of Uholor is highly exposed to health risks from contaminated drinking water due to widespread non-treatment, and inadequate hygiene practices.