Evaluación de la calidad del agua del río Tomebamba mediante el índice ICA del Instituto Mexicano de tecnología del agua

Abstract

The rivers are experiencing deterioration in water quality due to its use as a recipient of the different discharges. Moreover, there is natural pollution which is analyzed through the hydro-geochemistry of the river. Through the application of quality indexes, it is possible to diagnose and ensure a comprehensive assessment of the resource defining the uses to which it can be used. A comparative analysis of applying WQI and WQI-NSF indexes at seven points on the Tomebamba Riverlocated in the Llaviuco-Challuabamba section, monitored over a period of nine months, from March to November 2013, showed evidence of growing river deterioration as it moves its route, presenting an acceptable quality, little polluted and contaminated according toWQI and a good quality and average according to WQI-NSF. The variation in the quality of the water between the two compared models is relatively small. The most influential physicochemical parameters in the values of WQI were nitrates, ammonia nitrogen, dissolved solids, alkalinity, hardness and biochemical oxygen demand during the dry season and phosphates, suspended solids and turbidity in the rainy season. There is a need to deepen the control of the pollution of the river in the sectorlocatedafter the PTAR with the creation of marginal interceptors. Finally, although the marginal interceptors Tomebamba river are operating, still not achieved in some sectors and for some specific uses of the resource, the values set by the normative TULSMA due to the high density of coliforms bacterium, vital aspect in public health importance.