Water Quality

Management
Reporters:

Melig, Franc Apollo

Miasco, Kristian Baren
Naringahon, Jofel John
Water Quality Defined
Refers to the chemical, physical, biological,
and radiological characteristics of water.

It is a measure of the condition of water

relative to the requirements of one or more
biotic species and or to any human need
or purpose.
Water Quality Defined
Water Quality is:
• Drinking
• Agriculture
• Etc.
According to certain characteristics:
• Physical
• Chemical
• Biological
Water Quality Management Defined
Water quality management concerns four
major elements:
• the use (recreation, drinking water, fish and wildlife
propagation, industrial or agricultural) to be made of the
water;
• criteria to protect those uses;
• implementation plans (for needed industrial-municipal
waste treatment improvements) and enforcement plans;
• and an anti-degradation statement to protect existing
high quality waters.
Why Management?
• Characterize waters and identify changes or
trends in water quality over time
• Identify specific existing or emerging water
quality problems
• Gather information to design specific pollution
prevention or remediation programs
• Determine whether program goals are being
met
• Respond to emergencies
Responsibilities
Water pollution control management
including establishing policy, developing
strategic plans and water standards as well as
monitoring water quality of the Earth’s water
resources.
Water Quality Standards
• In the case of natural water bodies, they also
make some reasonable estimate of pristine
conditions. Natural water bodies will vary in
response to environmental conditions.
Environmental scientists work to understand
how these systems function, which in turn helps
to identify the sources and fates of
contaminants. Environmental lawyers and
policymakers work to define legislation with the
intention that water is maintained at an
appropriate quality for its identified use.
Water Quality Standards
• The vast majority of surface water on the Earth is
neither potable nor toxic. This remains true when
seawater in the oceans (which is too salty to drink) is
not counted. Another general perception of water
quality is that of a simple property that tells whether
water is polluted or not. In fact, water quality is a
complex subject, in part because water is a complex
medium intrinsically tied to the ecology of the Earth.
Industrial and commercial activities (e.g.
manufacturing, mining, construction, transport) are a
major cause of water pollution as are runoff from
agricultural areas, urban runoff and discharge of
treated and untreated sewage.
What affects Water Quality?
Humans
• Industry
• Agriculture
• Hygiene

Climate
• Weather
• Other Life Forms
Testing Water Quality
Physical Parameters
• Temperature
• Total Suspended Solids
• Turbidity
• Odour
• Taste
• Flow (in the case of rivers)
How to test
Physical Parameters
• Temperature
- Testing the temperature is always
done in situ using analogue or digital
thermometer
• Odour
- Should be done in situ or within 5
minutes of sample collection
• Taste
- Do this at your own risk
- Often done at treatment plants
How to test
Physical Parameters
• Total Suspended Solids
- Water is filtered, then the residue is dried and weighed
then compared to the original sample
• Turbidity
- Is measured by the amount of light that is scattered by
the sample
How to test
Physical Parameters
• Flow Gauging
- The river is sectioned off
and flow is measured at each
section using an impeller. The
readings for each section are
then added together to
produce a reading for the
whole river section
How to test
Physical Parameters
• Units
Parameter Unit
Temperature °C – Degrees Celsius
Total Suspended Solids Ppm – Parts per million
Turbidity NTU – Nephelometric Turbidity Units
Odour Subjective but useful description
Taste Subjective but useful description
Flow Gauging m3/s – Meters Cubed per Second
Testing Water Quality
Chemical Parameters
• pH • Industrial Wastes
• Specific Conductance • Alkalinity
• Nutrients • Pharmaceuticals
• Nitrates • Surfactants
• Phosphates • Oxygen
• Heavy Metals • Etc.
• Pesticides
• Herbicides
How to test
Chemical Parameters
• Potential Hydrogen (pH):
- Tested using Reagents or
Calibrated Electronic Meters
(CEM)

1
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𝑎𝐻 +
How to test
Chemical Parameters
• Specific Conductance
- Is a measure of the
salinity of the water, the more
ions in the water the more
conductive it is
- This is usually measured
using a CEM in the field
How to test
Chemical Parameters
• Nutrients: Tested for in a Spectrophotometer
Nitrates
Phosphates
- Samples of water are taken back to a lab (or mobile lab)
where specific volumes of the sample reacts with a measured
amount of reagent and the change between the original
samples light scattering capacity and the regent mixed sample
gives the concentration of nutrients
How to test
Chemical Parameters
• Nutrients: Tested for in a Spectrophotometer
How to test
Chemical Parameters
• Dissolved Oxygen (DO)
- DO Meter measures the oxygen by how much it dilutes the
charge (electricity Negative change, oxygen does not)
How to test
Chemical Parameters
• Units

Parameter Unit
pH The pH Scale (no Unit)
Specific Conductance μS/cm – Microsiemens per Centimetre
Nitrates & Phosphates mg/l – Milligrams per litre
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) ppm – Parts per million
Most Chemical Constituents Mass per volume of water
Testing Water Quality
Biological Parameters
• Bio-indicators
• Bacterial Life (health concerns)
How to test
Biological Parameters
• Bio-indicators
- These are large insects and animals that live in the water
body, if they are present then the water must be of a certain
quality
• Bacterial Life (health concerns)
E Coli
Coliform Bacteria
How to test
Biological Parameters
• Bio-indicators
- Stratified locations of fish could mean
• A Thermocline layer (temperature boundary)
• A Hypoxic layer (Oxygen boundary)
• A Eutrophication layer (Nutrient boundary)
- No presence of previously present animals
• Water quality has dropped and either moved the animals
away or killed them off

These are all indicators, they do not produce numbers but they show the
water has changed and can provide clues to the problems
However,
• This requires a lot of study:
In a well studied ecosystem,
change in numbers of
organisms can give very
accurate information about
pollutants and other stresses
from the environment
How to test
Physical Parameters
• Bio-indicators
- Stratified locations of fish could mean
• A Thermocline layer (temperature boundary)
• A Hypoxic layer (Oxygen boundary)
• A Eutrophication layer (Nutrient boundary)
- No presence of previously present animals
• Water quality has dropped and either moved the animals
away or killed them off

These are all indicators, they do not produce numbers but they show the
water has changed and can provide clues to the problems
How to test
Biological Parameters
• Bacterial life
1. A sample is taken
2. Kept cool and away from exterior
contamination
3. Brought back to the lab ASAP
4. Sample is shaken to allow for
minimum settling
5. Sample is added to agar plate (pour
or scrape)
6. Plate is incubated for 24 to 48 hours
7. Count the colonies of bacteria
Urban Contribution
Runoff contributions due to impervious surfaces
• Driving and Vehicle Maintenance
• Gardening
• Waste Disposal
• Hygiene (Poor or failed septic systems)
• Construction sites
Urban Impacts
Runoff contributions due to impervious surfaces
• Riverbank/bed erosion
• Increased siltation
• Aesthetic degradation
• Disruption of aquatic life
• Increased water temperature
• Human health
• Harm to coastal environments (Coral etc.)
• Fisheries
• Tourism
Water Pollution Sources
Water Pollution Management
• Reduce waste at pollution sources by the simple technologies
(Ex. Grease Trap and On‐site treatment)
• Rehabilitate the existing municipal wastewater treatment
facilities
• Construct new wastewater treatment system using
appropriate technology (Cluster/ Central wastewater
treatment plant)
• Promote clean production/technology and Best
• Management Practices to farmers/Industrial sector
Water Pollution Management
• Regulations and laws enforcement
• Encourage use of economic instruments (PPP, environmental
tax)
• Inspect and control effluent from pollution sources
• Monitor and evaluate water quality in water resources
• Increase capacity of local administrative organization and
network
• Public participation
Water Quality Management Goals
• Science-based goals or performance indicators for regional,
national, or international management strategies for toxic
substances
• Interim management objectives for persistent, bio-
accumulative, and toxic substances to track progress toward
their virtual elimination
• Indicators of eco-toxicologically relevant concentrations of
persistent, bio-accumulative, & toxic substances for the
purpose of improving analytical detection & quantification
capabilities
Water Quality Management Goals
• Tools to evaluate the effectiveness of point-source controls
• Scientific basis for environmental regulations & benchmarks or
targets in the assessment & remediation
Water Quality Management Guidelines
Water quality guidelines - values for indicators & are designed
to ensure that Environmental Values (EV) of waters are
protected.

Main nationally recognized EV for waters are:

• Ecosystem values
• Ecosystem protection (aquatic plants, fish and other flora and
fauna, habitat).
• Human use values: Agricultural; Recreational use;
• Drinking water supply
• Cultural values.
Water Quality Management Guidelines
Recognized guideline documents for the above EVs are:
• Ecosystem protection
• Recreational use: Guidelines for Managing Risks in
Recreational Waters:
• Human consumption: National standards eg: Australia New
Zealand Food Standards Code:
• Drinking water supply: Indian Drinking Water Guidelines
• Cultural values: No recognized guidelines
Steps in Water Quality Management
Step I: Setting Water Quality Goal
Step II: Water Quality Monitoring
Step III: Identification of Nature and Magnitude of Pollution
Step IV: Source Inventory
Step V: Water Quantity information
Step VI: Selection of Technology
Steps in Water Quality Management
Step VII: Financing Waste Management
Step VIII: Maintenance of sewage treatment plants
Step IX: Pollution from industrial sources
Step X: Pollution from non-point sources
Step XI: Some other Important Options for Water Quality
Management
END.