This study was designed to determine the quality of some sachet water products in Ogoja Local Government Area using
the World Health Organization (WHO) acceptable standards for drinking water. Ten different (newly produced) products
of sachet water were randomly selected from the Local Government on each sampling occasion. The water samples were
then subjected to physical, chemical and microbial analysis. The physical-chemical components examined included pH,
temperature, conductivity, turbidity, manganese, total hardness, nitrate, nitrite, magnesium, calcium, lead, zinc, copper,
total suspended solid, aluminum, iron, fluoride, color, chloride, salinity and total dissolved solids. The microbial
examination was for total and faecal coliform counts using multiple tube fermentation. Results revealed that all the
different sachet water products sampled deviated from the WHO standards. The concentration of the micro and macro
elements were significantly different (P<0.05) from the WHO recommended benchmark. The total and faecal coliform
counts were significantly higher than the required standard. The findings of this study deduce that sachet water samples
examined, do not meet microbiological standards for drinking water quality. This therefore suggests that sachet water
products sold and consumed in Ogoja are not safe for drinking as they contain pathogenic organisms that can cause
diseases to consumers. National surveillance agencies such as National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and
Control (NAFDAC) and Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) need to monitor and enforce compliance with the
constituted standards for drinking water.