Modeling water quality in time and space: case study the Litani River, Lebanon

Water shortage problems are becoming prominent in semi-arid regions, especially when the existing water resources are being polluted by different point and non-point sources. The objectives of this study are modeling the water quality of rivers in time and space: monitor the rate of pollution of the river; and forecast pollution levels with respect to time and space. To meet the objectives of this study, five water quality parameters are to be tested. They are: Nitrates, turbidity, total dissolved solids, EC or salinity, and pH or acidity. Six collection sites that are distributed sequentially along the initial stretch of the Litani River have been subjected to study. Water samples have been collected with a rate twice per month and then analyzed and the levels of the parameters are measured. A Lagrange Interpolating model is constructed which relates the concentration level of each water quality characteristic in time and space. The mean levels are then tested for their significance.