Impacts of Urbanization on Seasonal Water Quality Dynamics in Mudi River in Blantyre District, Malawi

Abstract

This study investigated the status of water quality in the Mudi River due to urbanization and increasing soil erosion levels. Water samples were collected during dry (October 2019) and wet seasons (January 2020) from three selected strategic places i.e. before the city limit, within the city, and out-skirt the city. Physicochemical and biological parameters such as pH, temperature, electric conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), and fecal coliforms were examined on the Mudi River water. Obtained data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists and ArcGIS 10.8. The results revealed that the Mudi River has lower water quality as most parameters exceeded the recommended limits thresholds, which may found that the Mudi River water was polluted significantly. Even though, quality of the studied river water was found as significantly better during the wet season than the dry season (p<0.05), which may be due to the dilution effect of the rainfall. This study recommends to the concerned body to increase the environmental awareness, integrate the solid waste management in the city, proper drainage systems, rehabilitation of sewer lines, and creating a buffer to protect river bank cultivation and continuous monitoring of the river using Geographic Information Systems.