Assessment of Drinking Water Sources and Water-Related Diseases in Yobe State, North East Nigeria

Protracted conflict and infrastructure breakdown in Yobe State have severely compromised water supply systems, increasing reliance on unprotected water sources and elevating disease burden. This cross-sectional study assessed the quality of drinking water sources and the prevalence of water-related diseases in three local government areas of Yobe State, North East Nigeria. Water samples were collected from boreholes, hand-dug wells, and surface water sources and analyzed for turbidity, pH, nitrate, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli using standard WHO methods. A household health survey was administered to 300 households to document water-related illness episodes in the preceding month. Results showed that surface water sources and hand-dug wells had fecal coliform counts exceeding WHO guidelines in eighty-four percent and sixty-two percent of samples, respectively. Borehole samples were compliant in sixty-one percent of cases. Cholera, typhoid fever, and diarrheal diseases accounted for the majority of health facility consultations. The two-week prevalence of diarrhea in children under five was forty-four percent. Proximity to unprotected water sources was a significant predictor of household diarrhea episodes. Distance to nearest healthcare facility negatively correlated with treatment-seeking behavior. The study recommends restoration of borehole infrastructure, deployment of point-of-use water treatment interventions, and integration of water safety activities within the emergency health response framework in Yobe State. Keywords: drinking water, water-related diseases, Yobe State, cholera, water quality.