Desarrollo de un indicador de la calidad del agua usando estadística aplicada, caso de estudio: Subcuenca Zanjón Oscuro

Abstract

The waters of the subriver basin Zanjón Oscuro, located in the plains of northern Cauca, Cauca Department, are used for irrigation of sugar cane by the use of artificial drainages. In its course the stream receives domestic and industrial sewage from the population and the sugar industry, which has led to pollution of it. This paper presents the work the evaluation of the quality of the water by means of the elaboration of water quality index “WQI”, from the use of the Applied Statistic. For this aim the use of a methodology based on the elaboration of curves of quality of different physicochemical parameters sets out that they were developed from a realised survey to different experts, with the intention of establishing qualitative and quantitative limits of the quality of the water; later to select the optimal curve that reflects the best decision to evaluate the quality of the water. The results were compared with the indicators of contamination of the water. Obtaining like result two indicators, the first conformed by the variables dissolved oxygen, biochemical demand of oxygen and faecal coliforms, which are indicating of the contamination by organic matter. The second includes the biochemical demand of oxygen, pH, conductivity, phosphates, nitrates, turbidity and total solids, which allow a general evaluation of the quality of the water.