E. E. AKORTHA

Coliform bacteria contamination in river water is a significant public health concern, as it often indicates the presence of fecal pollution, which may harbor pathogenic microorganisms. Coliform bacteria, especially Escherichia coli, are commonly used as indicator organisms for water quality assessment due to their presence in the intestines of warm-blooded animals and, therefore, in their waste. This study was aimed at assessing the physicochemical and coliform bacteria in Ikpoba river in Benin City, Edo state. The physicochemical result obtained in this study showed that pH was at 5.0, as against the WHO limit of 6.5-8.5 thus making the water dangerous for consumption by humans and aquatic lives. The electronic conductivity of the water was recorded at 62, against the WHO limit of 1500, this was below the permissible limit. turbidity was at 6.37. Copper, zinc, chromium and cadmium result in this study were 8.73, 26.45, 3.95, 0.042 respectively. The coliform bacteria count obtained in this study showed that the bacteria count ranged at 4.7 X 10 4± 2.00 cfu/ml -7.7 X 10 4± 1.00 cfu/ml for all sections of the river. Using the standard microbial method which include cultural, morphological and biochemical characterization, the isolates obtained in this study were Escherichia coli, Citrobacter sp, Enterobacter sp, Serratia sp and Klebsiella sp. The presence of coliform bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Serratia, and Klebsiella in river water can have serious health and ecological effects. The presence of coliform bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, Citrobacter, Enterobacter, Serratia, and Klebsiella, along with heavy metals in river water, poses a multifaceted threat to both human health and aquatic ecosystems.