Evaluation of Water Quality Index in Lerma River Upper Basin

Abstract

The Lerma River Upper Basin is located between Almoloya del Rio shallow lakes and Atlacomulco Municipality in the State of Mexico; is a natural resource essential to human activities in its surroundings and serves as a source of electricity and drinking water for Mexico City. However, this river is threatened by over-exploitation of its aquifers, disappearance of many of its wellsprings and uncontrolled discharges of wastewater from all sorts. Thus, the aim of this work was to evaluate the water quality in the Upper Lerma River Basin using WQI proposed by the NSF and compare these results with those obtained by the National Water Commission of Mexico (CNA). WQI was calculated using seven parameters: dissolved oxygen, pH, DOB5, temperature change, total phosphates, nitrates, and total solids obtained in four different sampling campaigns carried out in 2005, 2006 and 2012. The results showed that water quality in the Upper Lerma River is bad, mainly associated with high levels of BOD5, nitrates and phosphates found. The results obtained with WQI yielded the same diagnosis that the studies carried out by the CNA, in which water quality was unacceptable. It is worth noting that there is a significant water quality deterioration in the Upper Lerma River Basin with the course of the years, because in 2012 were observed the lower index values regarding 2005 and 2006, so it is imperative to implement measures to restore and preserve the water quality of this important river.