Surface water quality assessment using factor analysis

In this study, the factor analysis technique is applied to surface water quality data sets obtained from the Buyuk Menderes River Basin, Turkey, during two different hydrological periods. Results show that the indices which changed the quality of water in two seasons and locations differed. During low-flow conditions, water quality was strongly affected by agricultural uses. On the other hand, the main pollution source changed from agricultural uses to urban land uses in high-flow periods. Therefore major water pollution threats in the basin were urban and agricultural land uses which are defined as nonpoint sources. This technique is believed to assist decision makers in identifying priorities to improve water quality that has deteriorated due to various land uses.