Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone

Sahr Emmanuel Lebbie; David Conteh; Sahr Gbeinda; Fatmata Gegbe

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15

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Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone

Sahr Emmanuel Lebbie^*

, David Conteh

, Sahr Gbeinda

, Fatmata Gegbe

Published in International Journal of Environmental Chemistry (Volume 9, Issue 2)

Received: 6 September 2025 Accepted: 16 September 2025 Published: 9 October 2025

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Abstract

A significant priority in developing countries, including Sierra Leone, is access to clean and safe drinking water, which is largely unavailable. Packaged water, often sold in sachets, is increasingly filling this gap, particularly in urban areas. However, public health concerns persist due to a lack of stringent regulations and monitoring to ensure compliance with water quality standards. This study evaluated the physical, chemical, and biological quality of sachet drinking water from five companies in Kono District, Sierra Leone. Standard laboratory analyses were performed on water samples, and consumer perceptions were gathered via questionnaires. While the physical and chemical properties of the sachet water brands generally complied with Sierra Leone Ministry of Water Resources (MWR-SL) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, bacteriological quality, specifically aerobic plate counts, exceeded these standards in most samples. Only Good Family Pure Water company met all MWR-SL and WHO permissible standards. Consumer preference analysis revealed Good Family Pure Water was favored by 54.5% of respondents, followed by Janneh Spring Water (15%), Diamond Pure Water (12%), Hali Fresh Water (10.5%), and Nimi Hills Spring Water (8%). Good Family Pure Water also ranked highest in perceived quality, aligning with laboratory results. The study recommended that sachet water companies in Sierra Leone adhere strictly to hygiene standards to prevent product contamination, ensuring public safety and a healthier population, thereby reducing the need for resource allocation towards disease control.

Published in	International Journal of Environmental Chemistry (Volume 9, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15
Page(s)	72-89
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Water Quality, Physico-Chemical Property, Sachet Water Company, WHO Standard, Drinking Water, Perception Survey, Kono District

References

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APA Style

Lebbie, S. E., Conteh, D., Gbeinda, S., Gegbe, F. (2025). Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone. International Journal of Environmental Chemistry, 9(2), 72-89. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15

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ACS Style

Lebbie, S. E.; Conteh, D.; Gbeinda, S.; Gegbe, F. Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone. Int. J. Environ. Chem. 2025, 9(2), 72-89. doi: 10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15

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AMA Style

Lebbie SE, Conteh D, Gbeinda S, Gegbe F. Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone. Int J Environ Chem. 2025;9(2):72-89. doi: 10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15,
  author = {Sahr Emmanuel Lebbie and David Conteh and Sahr Gbeinda and Fatmata Gegbe},
  title = {Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone},
  journal = {International Journal of Environmental Chemistry},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {72-89},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijec.20250902.15},
  abstract = {A significant priority in developing countries, including Sierra Leone, is access to clean and safe drinking water, which is largely unavailable. Packaged water, often sold in sachets, is increasingly filling this gap, particularly in urban areas. However, public health concerns persist due to a lack of stringent regulations and monitoring to ensure compliance with water quality standards. This study evaluated the physical, chemical, and biological quality of sachet drinking water from five companies in Kono District, Sierra Leone. Standard laboratory analyses were performed on water samples, and consumer perceptions were gathered via questionnaires. While the physical and chemical properties of the sachet water brands generally complied with Sierra Leone Ministry of Water Resources (MWR-SL) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, bacteriological quality, specifically aerobic plate counts, exceeded these standards in most samples. Only Good Family Pure Water company met all MWR-SL and WHO permissible standards. Consumer preference analysis revealed Good Family Pure Water was favored by 54.5% of respondents, followed by Janneh Spring Water (15%), Diamond Pure Water (12%), Hali Fresh Water (10.5%), and Nimi Hills Spring Water (8%). Good Family Pure Water also ranked highest in perceived quality, aligning with laboratory results. The study recommended that sachet water companies in Sierra Leone adhere strictly to hygiene standards to prevent product contamination, ensuring public safety and a healthier population, thereby reducing the need for resource allocation towards disease control.},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone
AU  - Sahr Emmanuel Lebbie
AU  - David Conteh
AU  - Sahr Gbeinda
AU  - Fatmata Gegbe
Y1  - 2025/10/09
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15
T2  - International Journal of Environmental Chemistry
JF  - International Journal of Environmental Chemistry
JO  - International Journal of Environmental Chemistry
SP  - 72
EP  - 89
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-1460
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15
AB  - A significant priority in developing countries, including Sierra Leone, is access to clean and safe drinking water, which is largely unavailable. Packaged water, often sold in sachets, is increasingly filling this gap, particularly in urban areas. However, public health concerns persist due to a lack of stringent regulations and monitoring to ensure compliance with water quality standards. This study evaluated the physical, chemical, and biological quality of sachet drinking water from five companies in Kono District, Sierra Leone. Standard laboratory analyses were performed on water samples, and consumer perceptions were gathered via questionnaires. While the physical and chemical properties of the sachet water brands generally complied with Sierra Leone Ministry of Water Resources (MWR-SL) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, bacteriological quality, specifically aerobic plate counts, exceeded these standards in most samples. Only Good Family Pure Water company met all MWR-SL and WHO permissible standards. Consumer preference analysis revealed Good Family Pure Water was favored by 54.5% of respondents, followed by Janneh Spring Water (15%), Diamond Pure Water (12%), Hali Fresh Water (10.5%), and Nimi Hills Spring Water (8%). Good Family Pure Water also ranked highest in perceived quality, aligning with laboratory results. The study recommended that sachet water companies in Sierra Leone adhere strictly to hygiene standards to prevent product contamination, ensuring public safety and a healthier population, thereby reducing the need for resource allocation towards disease control.
VL  - 9
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Sahr Emmanuel Lebbie

Chemistry Department, Njala University, Moyamba, Sierra Leone

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0007-5424-5993
David Conteh

Chemistry Department, Njala University, Moyamba, Sierra Leone

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0008-0749-2163
Sahr Gbeinda

Public Health Department, University of Makeni, Makeni, Sierra Leone

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0002-1035-2758
Fatmata Gegbe

Nursing Department, Njala University, Bo, Sierra Leone

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0003-1157-9150

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APA Style

Lebbie, S. E., Conteh, D., Gbeinda, S., Gegbe, F. (2025). Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone. International Journal of Environmental Chemistry, 9(2), 72-89. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15

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ACS Style

Lebbie, S. E.; Conteh, D.; Gbeinda, S.; Gegbe, F. Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone. Int. J. Environ. Chem. 2025, 9(2), 72-89. doi: 10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15

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AMA Style

Lebbie SE, Conteh D, Gbeinda S, Gegbe F. Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone. Int J Environ Chem. 2025;9(2):72-89. doi: 10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15

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@article{10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15,
  author = {Sahr Emmanuel Lebbie and David Conteh and Sahr Gbeinda and Fatmata Gegbe},
  title = {Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone},
  journal = {International Journal of Environmental Chemistry},
  volume = {9},
  number = {2},
  pages = {72-89},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijec.20250902.15},
  abstract = {A significant priority in developing countries, including Sierra Leone, is access to clean and safe drinking water, which is largely unavailable. Packaged water, often sold in sachets, is increasingly filling this gap, particularly in urban areas. However, public health concerns persist due to a lack of stringent regulations and monitoring to ensure compliance with water quality standards. This study evaluated the physical, chemical, and biological quality of sachet drinking water from five companies in Kono District, Sierra Leone. Standard laboratory analyses were performed on water samples, and consumer perceptions were gathered via questionnaires. While the physical and chemical properties of the sachet water brands generally complied with Sierra Leone Ministry of Water Resources (MWR-SL) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, bacteriological quality, specifically aerobic plate counts, exceeded these standards in most samples. Only Good Family Pure Water company met all MWR-SL and WHO permissible standards. Consumer preference analysis revealed Good Family Pure Water was favored by 54.5% of respondents, followed by Janneh Spring Water (15%), Diamond Pure Water (12%), Hali Fresh Water (10.5%), and Nimi Hills Spring Water (8%). Good Family Pure Water also ranked highest in perceived quality, aligning with laboratory results. The study recommended that sachet water companies in Sierra Leone adhere strictly to hygiene standards to prevent product contamination, ensuring public safety and a healthier population, thereby reducing the need for resource allocation towards disease control.},
 year = {2025}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Assessment of the Quality of Sachet (Packaged) Water Consumed in Kono District, Sierra Leone
AU  - Sahr Emmanuel Lebbie
AU  - David Conteh
AU  - Sahr Gbeinda
AU  - Fatmata Gegbe
Y1  - 2025/10/09
PY  - 2025
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15
T2  - International Journal of Environmental Chemistry
JF  - International Journal of Environmental Chemistry
JO  - International Journal of Environmental Chemistry
SP  - 72
EP  - 89
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2640-1460
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijec.20250902.15
AB  - A significant priority in developing countries, including Sierra Leone, is access to clean and safe drinking water, which is largely unavailable. Packaged water, often sold in sachets, is increasingly filling this gap, particularly in urban areas. However, public health concerns persist due to a lack of stringent regulations and monitoring to ensure compliance with water quality standards. This study evaluated the physical, chemical, and biological quality of sachet drinking water from five companies in Kono District, Sierra Leone. Standard laboratory analyses were performed on water samples, and consumer perceptions were gathered via questionnaires. While the physical and chemical properties of the sachet water brands generally complied with Sierra Leone Ministry of Water Resources (MWR-SL) and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, bacteriological quality, specifically aerobic plate counts, exceeded these standards in most samples. Only Good Family Pure Water company met all MWR-SL and WHO permissible standards. Consumer preference analysis revealed Good Family Pure Water was favored by 54.5% of respondents, followed by Janneh Spring Water (15%), Diamond Pure Water (12%), Hali Fresh Water (10.5%), and Nimi Hills Spring Water (8%). Good Family Pure Water also ranked highest in perceived quality, aligning with laboratory results. The study recommended that sachet water companies in Sierra Leone adhere strictly to hygiene standards to prevent product contamination, ensuring public safety and a healthier population, thereby reducing the need for resource allocation towards disease control.
VL  - 9
IS  - 2
ER  -

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