The presence of total coliform and fecal coliform in the private beach resort of Sabah

The research was conducted to determine the hygiene quality of private beach resort seawater in Sabah. Total coliform and fecal coliform were analyzed at five selected sampling locations at the resort located in Kota Kinabalu. Identification was done through the Membrane Filtration Method from APHA standard. The results showed that the highest concentration of total coliform has reached 105 cfu/100ml; and fecal coliform reached up to 92 cfu/100ml. This showed that total coliform and fecal coliform were presence in the private beach of the resort. However, it is still acceptable under Class IIB Malaysian Interim Water Quality Standard whereby both coliform contents were below 5000 cfu/ml for total coliform and 400 cfu/ml for fecal coliform. Thus, it can be concluded that the private beach is still in a good condition and suitable for recreational purposes. Contributing factors to the level of coliform contamination in the private beach of the resort are believed to be related due to the recreational activity and also the improper sanitation from the nearby local housing area. Therefore, to ensure the water quality of private beach is always under control, water quality monitoring should be done continuously to assure the recreational water is safe to be used by many