Table 7.
Correlation values between physico-chemical parameters and microbial load and their correlation categories according to Mukaka [40].
| Parameters | E. coli (CFU/mL) | Total Coliforms (CFU/mL) | Correlation Category (for E. coli/Total Coliforms) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conductivity (µS/cm) | 0.702 | 0.649 | High/Moderate |
| DO (mg/L) | −0.599 | −0.555 | Negligible/Negligible |
| CODTotal (mg/L) | 0.506 | 0.376 | Moderate/Low |
| Cl− (mg/L) | 0.674 | 0.578 | Moderate/Moderate |
| NH4+N (mg/L) | 0.870 | 0.801 | High/High |
| PO43−P (mg/L) | 0.924 | 0.938 | Very high/Very high |
| SO42− (mg/L) | 0.770 | 0.726 | High/High |
| Manganese (mg/L) | 0.742 | 0.675 | High/Moderate |
| Fluoride (mg/L) | 0.499 | 0.402 | Low/Low |
| Sodium (mg/L) | 0.607 | 0.547 | Moderate/Moderate |
Legend: All of these correlations showed a previously significant p-value equal or below 0.05.