Assessment of the current status of water quality and nutrients enrichment of rivers Kisat and Auji and Nyalenda wastewater sedimentation ponds using multivariate technique

Abstract

Monitoring the condition of aquatic ecosystems is important because they provide ecological goods and services on which human beings depend. The present study analyzed the physico-chemical parameters and nutrients enrichment in rivers Kisat and Auji as well as wastewater sedimentation ponds to inform appropriate management measures. The water samples were collected from eight sampling sites starting at the source running downstream and at the wastewater sedimentation ponds beginning from February to October 2021. The physico-chemical parameters were measured in situ, while nutrients were analyzed at the laboratory. The results of the study indicated inconsistencies in the variation of physico-chemical parameters and nutrients enrichment among the sampling sites. The results revealed that dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), salinity (sal), total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity and total nitrogen (TN) showed significance difference between the sites. Similarly principal component analysis revealed variations indicating (temperature, TDS, EC, Sal, TN and Total phosphorus (TP) are the major variables influencing the water quality variations. The overall results demonstrated some sampling sites are heavily contaminated with pollutants attributable to anthropogenic activities. The results of the present study are important for decision making regarding the management of water quality in urban rivers and wastewater sedimentations ponds.