Shkelqime Poga || Erjon Mamoçi
Volume: 13 Issue: 03, 2025
Abstract:
Drinking water quality is a critical determinant of public health, especially due to the risk of waterborne diseases when safety parameters are compromised. Among these diseases, gastroenteritis has significant epidemiological importance and is usually caused by exposure to contaminated food or water, or through close contact with infected individuals. The cross-sectional study, conducted in the Municipality of Dibra during 2024, aimed to investigate the relationship between water quality and the incidence of gastroenteritis. The findings revealed that diseases with possible transmission through drinking water accounted for 57.8% (3886/6727) of all annual morbidity cases, and gastroenteritis accounted for 99.8% (3879/3886) within the group of waterborne diseases. The distribution by gender showed that 51.8% of cases occurred in males and 48.2% in females. A total of 3353 drinking water samples were analyzed for microbiological indicators, while 5874 samples were examined for physicochemical parameters. Overall, 99% of the samples met the microbiological standards, but 217 water samples were found to be out of range for the physicochemical indicator. These results highlight the importance of maintaining rigorous water treatment protocols to minimize the risk of disease transmission. Residual chlorine levels were measured in 5869 water samples. Of these, 30 samples had 0 mg/L residual chlorine, indicating a lack of disinfectant, while 469 samples showed low levels, indicating insufficient chlorination. Fluctuations in these levels highlighted gaps in the disinfection process.