International Journal of Remote Sensing & Geoscience (IJRSG) www.ijrsg.com SURFACE WATER QUALITY MONITORING FOR BASIN,

USING GIS S. Krishna Kumar, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Dr.Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu N.Karthikeyan, Dept .of Civil Engineering, Dr.Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu M.C.Sashikkumar, University V.O.C College of Engineering, Anna University, Region, campus, Tamil Nadu

existing dynamic equilibrium among the environmental segments Abstract get affected leading to the state of polluted rivers. Hence moni- toring of surface water quality has become indispensable. Sur- Water is an important natural resource of earth and plays a vi- face water quality depends on various parameters such as pH, tal role in our life. Surface water and groundwater are the major Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids, Total hard- sources of water. The surface water qualities of major river ba- ness, Ammonia, Nitrate and BOD etc. sins are contaminated by the municipal and industrial discharges. Mapping of spatial variability of surface water quality is of vital The present study attempts to map the spatial variation of sur- importance and it is particularly significant where it is primary face water quality parameters for Thamirabarani River Basin of source of potable water. In order to assess the water quality the Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu using GIS. GIS is an effective present study has been undertaken to map the spatial variability tool for water quality mapping and essential for monitoring the of water quality using Geographical Information System (GIS) environmental change detection. The water samples were col- approach. The water quality of Tamirabarani River, an important lected from 21 locations randomly distributed in the study area. domestic and potable water source of Southern , Tamil Na- The physio-chemical parameters namely pH, Electrical Conduc- du state has been assessed in the present study. The water tivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids, Total hardness, Ammonia, qualities of 21 sampling stations were randomly selected in Nitrate and BOD of the samples were analyzed. GIS is used to Thamirabarani River Basin, Tamil Nadu state for the present assess the existing condition of surface water quality and the study. GIS is a powerful tool for representation and analysis of contaminated areas can be identified for further monitoring and spatial information related to water quality analysis. The spatial management. Also the present study encourages the stake variation map for the major water quality parameters are generat- holders of the river basin for its suitability for irrigation, industri- ed and integrated using Arc View 3.2a software. The final inte- al and also for drinking purposes. grated map shows three priority classes such as Good, Moderate and Poor water quality zones of the study area and provides a guideline for the suitability of water for domestic purposes. Study area

Keywords: GIS, Groundwater, Arc View 3.2a, Weighted overlay The present study has been carried out in Thamirabarani River method Basin of Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu. It lies between Lati- tude 08o 8’N and 09o 23’N and Longitude 77o 09’E and 77o 54’E. Introduction The location of the Study area is shown in Fig.1 and Index Map of Thamirabarani River Basin is shown in Fig.2. The major rainy Water is an indispensable natural resource on earth. Safe drink- season is from October to middle of January. The average an- ing water is the primary need of every human being. Fresh water nual rainfall prevails over the study area is 815mm. The total has become a scarce commodity due to over exploitation and length of River is 120km of which 75km runs in Tirunelveli dis- trict. It is fed both by monsoons and by its tributaries. The area of pollution of water. The possibility of contamination of river wa- 2 ter is due to the mixing of toxic chemicals, fertilizers and impro- the river basin is 5942km . The relative humidity in general, per disposal of liquid wastes from the industries. In the absence during the year, is between 55 and 65 percent. Physiographical- of appropriate waste management strategies, many human activi- ly, the area represents flat topography with gentle slope. It flows ties and their by-products have the potential to pollute surface roughly east and enters the Gulf of Mannar of the Bay of Bengal and subsurface water. Acute short fall of monsoon rains, poor near Palayakayal (Thillai Arasu at al. 2007). The wastewater watershed management, lavish use of water for domestic and from the industries and municipal areas are discharged and agricultural purposes have led to the overexploitation of the drained into Thamirabarani River. surface water sources especially from the river bodies. On the other hand, surface water bodies become the dumping source for industrial effluent and domestic wastes. As a result, the naturally

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major area of the river basin has good range of EC except at dis- Methodology charge area of the river into the sea.

The water samples collected from 21 sampling stations was Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) tested for physio-chemical parameters and compared with the prescribed drinking water standards by Bureau of Indian Stan- The mineral constituents dissolved in water constitute dis- dards (BIS, 10500:2010). The locations of the water sample sites solved solids. Concentration of dissolved solids in water decides were listed in Table 1. The major parameters namely pH, Elec- its applicability for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes. trical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids, Total hardness, The Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) was classified to three ranges Ammonia, Nitrate and BOD of the samples were analyzed. The (0-500 mg/l, 500-1000 mg/l and >1000 mg/l). The spatial varia- base map of the Thamirabarani River basin is derived from the tion map for TDS was prepared based on these ranges and pre- thematic map collected from Institute of Remote Sensing, Anna sented in Fig 5. From the map it is evident that except the central University on 1:50,000 scale. The base map was georeferenced and south eastern part of the basin, all other portions have good and digitized by using MapInfo software and exported to quality range for TDS. Arc view software for spatial analysis. Spatial interpolation technique through Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) approach Total Suspended Solids (TSS) has been used in the present study to delineate the distribution of The Total Suspended solids was classified in to three ranges water pollutants. The Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) referred (0-50 mg/l, 50-150 mg/l and >150 mg/l) and based on these to as deterministic interpolation methods because they assign ranges the spatial variation map for total hardness has been values to locations based on the surrounding measured values obtained and presented in Fig 6. It is clear from the map that and on specified mathematical formulas that determine the except in central part of the basin has good range of Total smoothness of the resulting surface. This method uses a defined Suspended Solids. or selected set of sample points for estimating the output grid cell value. Ammonia (NH3) Results and discussion The standard value of ammonia ranges for good quality water should be less than 1.2mg/l. From the Figure 7, it is clear that The spatial and the attribute database generated were inte- major part of the basin has good and moderate range of ammo- grated for the generation of spatial variation maps of major water nia. quality parameters like pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids, Total hardness, Ammonia, Nitrate and BOD. Nitrate and BOD Based on these spatial variation maps of major water quality pa- rameters, an integrated water quality map of Thamirabarani Riv- Nitrate in natural water is due to organic sources or from in- er basin was prepared using GIS. This integrated water quality dustrial and agricultural chemicals. While nitrogen is an essential maps helps us to know the existing water condition of the study constituent of protein in all living organisms, nitrate concentra- area. tions of greater than 45 mg/l can cause blue baby syndrome among infants. The standard value of Nitrate ranges for a good pH quality water should be less than or equal to 20mg/l and for BOD pH is one of the important parameters of water and determines the guideline value should not be more than 0 mg/l. From the the acidic and alkaline nature of water. The pH of the good quali- Figures 8 and 9, the variation of the Nitrate and BOD in the river ty water ranges from 7 to 8.3. The pH of the samples was well basin is uniform. The river basin has an overall poor range of within the prescribed standards for drinking water. The spatial BOD for the entire study area. variation map for pH was prepared and presented in Fig 3. Data Integration Using GIS Electrical Conductivity (EC) In the integrated GIS analysis, all the spatial variation maps of major water quality parameters such as pH, Electrical Conductiv- Electrical Conductivity (EC) depends upon temperature, ionic ity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids, Total Suspended Solids, Am- concentration and types of ions present in the water. Thus the EC monia, Nitrate and BOD were integrated into a weighted index gives a qualitative picture of the quality of groundwater. The overlay process. In this study, the criterion table with suitable Electrical Conductivity (EC) was classified in to three ranges (0- ranks and weightages adopted in this study was presented in Ta- 2250 mhos/cm, 2250-3000 mhos/cm and >3000 mhos/cm). ble 2. The integrated water quality map of Thamirabarani River The spatial variation map for Electrical Conductivity (EC) was basin was prepared and shown in Fig 10. The integrated map prepared and presented in Fig 4. From the map it is evident that shows the broad idea about good, moderate and poor water quali- ty zones in the study area. From the integrated analysis, moderate

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range of water quality prevails over the south eastern part and [4] Hema Latha, T., Pradeep Kumar, G.N., Lakshminaraya- central part of the basin and the rest of the area has good water na. P and Anil, A, “Assessment of Groundwater Quali- quality condition. ty Index for Upper Pincha Basin, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India using GIS”, International Journal Conclusions of Scientific & Engineering Research Volume 3, Issue 7, pp 1-8, 2012. Surface water is one of the major sources of water. It is now [5] Jaya Rathore, “Assessment of water quality of River facing threats due to rapid growth of population, urbanization Bandi affected by textile dyeing and printing effluents, and industrial activities. Industrial effluents, and wastes from Pali, Western Rajasthan, India”, International Journal urban infrastructure, agriculture, horticulture, transport and dis- Of Environmental Sciences, Vol. 2, No 2, pp.560-568, charges from abandoned mines and deliberate or accidental pol- 2011. lution, all eventually affect the water quality. The water quality is [6] Murhekar, G.H, “Trace Metals Contamination of Sur- equally important as that of quantity. The present study has been face Water Samples in and Around Akot City in Maha- undertaken to analyze the spatial variation of major water quality rashtra, India”, Res. J. Recent Science, Vol. 1, No.7, parameters such as pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dis- pp.5-9, 2012. solved Solids, Total Suspended Solids, Ammonia, Nitrate and [7] Sargaonkar, A. and Deshpande, V, “Development of an BOD using GIS approach. GIS can be used as a powerful tool for overall index of pollution for surface water based on developing solutions for water resources problems for assessing general classification scheme in Indian context”, Envi- water quality, determining water availability, preventing flood- ronmental Monitoring and assessment, Vol. 89, No.43- ing, understanding the natural environment, and managing water 67, 2003. resources on a local or regional scale. The water quality of [8] K. Saravanakumar, K. and Ranjith Kumar, R, “Analysis 21sampling stations were randomly selected in Thamirabarani of water quality parameters of groundwater near Ambat- River basin located in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu State tur industrial area, Tamil Nadu, India”, Indian Journal for the present study. The spatial variation maps of major water of Science and Technology, Vol. 4, No. 5, pp.560-562, quality parameters were prepared and finally all these maps were 2011. integrated. The water quality has been classified as good, mod- [9] Sundar`a kumar, K., sundara kumar, P., Ratnakanth ba- erate and poor depending on the final weight values assigned to bu, M.J. and Ch. Hanumantha rao, “Assessment and polygons in the final layer. The integrated map shows the broad mapping of Ground water quality using Geographical idea about good, moderate and poor water quality zones in the information Systems”, International Journal of Engi- study area. This study helps us to understand the quality of the neering Science and Technology, Vol. 2, No.11, pp. water as well as to develop suitable management practices to 6035-6046, 2010. protect the water resources. [10] Thillai Arasu, P., Hema, S. and Neelakantan, M.A, “Physico-chemical analysis of Tamirabarani river water References in South India”, Indian Journal of Science and Technol- ogy, Vol.1, No.2, pp. 1-5, 2007. [1] Balakrishnan, M., Arul Antony, S., Gunasekaran, S. [11] Udayalaxmi, G., Himabindu, D. and Ramadass, G, and Natarajan, R.K, “Impact of dyeing industrial efflu- ents on the groundwater quality in Kancheepuram (In- “Geochemical evaluation of groundwater quality in se- dia)”, Indian Journal of Science and Technology, Vol.1, lected areas of Hyderabad, A.P., India”, Indian Journal No 7, pp.1-7, 2008. of Science and Technology, Vol. 3, No. 5, 2010. [2] Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Indian standards for drinking water specification, (BIS,10500:2010).

[3] Gopalsami, P.M., Kumar, P.E. and Kulandaivelu, A.R, “Study on the Quality of water in the Bhavani River, (S.India)”, Asian Journal of Chemisty, Vol.15, pp. 306- 310, 2003.

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Table 1. Water Quality Parameters for the Study Area Ec TDS TSS NH3 NO3 BOD S.no Station Name Longitude Latitude pH (mhos/cm) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) (mg/l) 77.113 8.655 7.20 60.00 34.67 30.00 0.49 2.00 2.21 1 Agasthiar 77.284 8.666 7.07 85.00 43.00 208.67 0.36 2.00 2.25 2 Vickramasingapuram 77.292 8.661 7.23 100.00 50.00 114.33 0.64 1.67 2.23 3 Vickramasingapuram D/S 77.370 8.652 7.20 105.00 52.33 131.33 0.45 2.33 4.20 4 Kannadian Anaicut 77.403 8.633 7.37 105.00 62.33 145.33 0.47 2.33 2.49 5 Ambasamudram 77.466 8.685 7.60 195.00 101.00 70.00 0.59 2.00 2.56 6 Gadana Ariyanayakipuram Anai- 77.504 8.701 7.47 145.00 74.33 66.67 0.51 2.00 2.47 7 cut 77.524 8.669 7.43 145.00 77.67 96.33 0.74 2.67 2.65 8 Cheranmahadevi 77.537 8.668 7.33 140.00 75.33 97.33 1.63 2.33 2.59 9 D/S of Sun paper mill 77.716 8.648 7.63 150.00 76.67 60.00 0.66 2.67 1.99 10 Tharuvai 77.746 8.681 7.60 155.00 75.67 105.33 0.44 2.67 4.11 11 Kurukkuthurai 77.762 8.699 7.30 155.00 83.67 83.33 0.19 3.67 3.38 12 Tirunelveli 77.776 8.689 7.57 180.00 90.67 81.33 0.19 3.00 2.63 13 Vellakovil 77.855 8.750 7.57 200.00 113.33 62.33 0.21 2.67 3.05 14 Pottal 77.867 8.750 7.57 210.00 104.67 100.33 0.28 2.67 2.66 15 Manappadaivedu 77.915 8.768 7.80 225.00 118.33 182.67 0.18 2.67 2.50 16 Sivalaperi 77.929 8.745 7.87 225.00 115.00 49.67 0.14 2.33 2.19 17 Marudur Anaicut 78.039 8.586 8.10 265.00 127.00 61.33 0.00 1.67 2.91 18 Karungulam 78.051 8.579 8.13 260.00 132.00 60.00 0.16 1.67 2.56 19 Srivaikundam 78.330 8.539 8.20 390.00 88.67 47.67 0.17 1.00 2.53 20 Eral 78.342 8.539 8.20 505.00 242.33 71.00 0.24 1.00 2.34 21 Atthur

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Table 2. Criterion table showing Weightages and Ranking assigned for different Water Quality parameters

Sl. Criteria Parameter Ranking Weightages No Range 1 pH 7 to 7.5 1 7.5 to 8.5 2 20% >8.5 3 2 Electrical conductivity 250 - 750 1 ((μS/cm) 750 -1000 2 15% >1000 3 3 Total Dissolved 500 1 Solids 500 -2000 2 15% (mg/l) >2000 3 4 Total Suspended Solids 50 -100 1 (mg/l) 100 -150 2 15% >150 3 5 Ammonia <1.2 1 (mg/l) >1.2 3 5% 6 Nitrate 20 1 (mg/l) >50 3 10% 7 BOD 0 1 (mg/l) > 0 3 20%

Figure 1. Location map of Study area

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Figure 2. Index Map of Thamirabarani Basin

Figure 3. Spatial Variation Map of PH

Figure 4. Spatial Variation Map of Electrical Conductivity (EC)

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Figure 5. Spatial Variation Map of TDS

Figure 6. Spatial Variation Map of Total Suspended Solids

Figure 7. Spatial Variation Map of Ammonia

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Figure 8. Spatial Variation Map of Nitrate

Figure 9. Spatial Variation Map of BOD

Figure 10. Integrated Spatial Variation Map of Surface Water Quality

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