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Bani S, Khamanga SMM, Tandlich R, Wilhelmi B. Continuous assessment of drinking and surface water quality: Addressing the key challenges to sustainable water access in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Bìol Tvarin. 2026; 28 (2): 3–9. DOI: 10.15407/animbiol28.02.003.
https://doi.org/10.15407/animbiol28.02.003
Received 23.06.2026 ▪ Revision 14.08.2026 ▪ Accepted 20.08.2026 ▪ Published online 31.08.2026

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Continuous assessment of drinking and surface water quality: Addressing the key challenges to sustainable water access in Makhanda, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Siphumze Bani¹, Sandile M. M. Khamanga¹, Roman Tandlich^1*, Brendan Wilhelmi²

*This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

¹Rhodes University, Faculty of Pharmacy, Artillery Road, P.O. Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa
²Rhodes University, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Artillery Road, P.O. Box 94, Makhanda, 6140, South Africa

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The small city of Makhanda has been facing issues of limited water access over the years, which badly affect public health, well-being, and socio-economic functioning. This observational study encourages the continuous assessment of drinking and surface water quality as an approach to communicating and finding solutions to these challenges. Water samples from site 3 had no fecal coliforms, however, 0.42±0.09 CFU/100 ml of total bacteria was observed to be resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, doxycycline, penicillin G and sulfamethoxazole, and susceptible to ciprofloxacin, kanamycin, and rifampicin. The Gram-staining and potassium hydroxide test techniques revealed the bacteria to be Staphylococcus aureus. In addition to the conventional physicochemical quality parameters, the potentiometric electronic tongue instrument was employed to analyse the aesthetic quality (taste). The drinking water samples from sites 3 and 4 were bitter and sour, respectively, while water samples from sites 1, 2 and 6 were sweet, and sites 5, 7, and 8 had an umami taste. The taste profiles correlate with drinking water’s microbial and physicochemical quality and can be used to predict long-term health risk conditions such as nephrolithiasis. Continuous microbiome and antibiotic resistance profiling are essential to predict and quantify public health risks in drinking and surface water.

Keywords: electronic tongue, water quality, fecal coliforms, continuous assessment

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