2025, Vol. 6, Issue 2, Part B

including Zanzibar. This study aimed to assess microbial contamination of water consumed in urban areas of Ungula, focusing on identify bacterial species present in public water supplied by Zanzibar Water Authority (ZAWA), water sourced from bore holes and publicly dispensed bottled water, classify bacterial isolates based on the three water sources investigated, to compare the levels of bacterial contamination among different geographical locations in the Zanzibar urban region and to explore the association of water contamination among the three water sources. A total of 70 water samples were collected across different locations of urban district 30 water samples from bore water, 20 from publicly dispensed bottled water and 20 of water sample from Zanzibar water authority and analysed for microbes using standard microbiological techniques. The results revealed high contamination across all sources. Borehole water was the most contaminated, with 30 samples collected from this source, accounting for 42.9% of the total. The most frequently detected bacterium was Escherichia coli at 14.3%, followed by mixed contamination of Klebsiella spp. and Vibrio cholera (both 11.4% detection). Approximately 18.6% of the samples showed no bacterial growth, and all of them were from publicly dispensed bottled water. Chi-Square test (p = 0.000 < 0.05) confirmed a significant association between the type of microbial contamination and the water source, but no significant relationship was found between the location and type of microbial contamination (p = 0.069 > 0.05). The findings highlight the persistent risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid in urban Unguja. The study concludes that although multiple water sources are available, safe drinking water access remains a challenge. Recommendations include strengthening water treatment and monitoring systems, enforcing quality control among private water vendors, improving well protection and sanitation, and raising community awareness on safe water practices. Addressing these challenges is critical to safeguarding public health and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation in Zanzibar.