Surface water quality assessment based on the Integrated Water Quality Index in the Maozhou River basin, Guangdong, China

Rivers are a vital component of both urban and rural aquatic ecosystems, and the rapidly increasing pollution in rivers severely threatens the security of these ecosystems. In this study, the surface water quality in the Maozhou River basin, Guangdong Province, China, was assessed from 2018 to 2020 using multivariate statistical techniques and the Integrated Water Quality Index (IWQI). In addition, spatial trends in surface water quality were studied using a geographic information system. The results indicated that the water quality in 82.17% of the studied section met the Class V standard for surface water quality, with IWQI values ranging from 12.157 to 3.650. The surface water quality was clustered into eight groups and further divided into unsuitable (low quality) and suitable (acceptable quality) according to standard surface water quality thresholds (China in Environmental quality standards for surface water, 2002). Four groups (G1, G2, G3, and G4) were classified as unsuitable, because they fell short of the Class V standard for surface water quality. In these groups, industrial sewage, endogenous pollution, domestic sewage, and rainfall runoff, were the primary sources of pollution, and the main background pollutants for the water quality target of the functional zones were COD, NH3-N, TP, and LAS. The other four groups were classified as suitable. In these groups, endogenous pollution and rainfall runoff were the primary sources of pollution, and the main background pollutants for the water quality target of the functional zones were NH3-N and TP. Among them, NH3-N and LAS were recognized as responsive and sensitive to the surface water quality and spatio-temporal variability. Owing to pollution treatment and management measures undertaken by the Chinese government, the black-odorous water in the Maozhou River basin has disappeared, and the water quality in the Maozhou River basin has been maintained at the “medium and good” level. However, the surface water quality in the estuary region and the southwest tributary in the basin requires further improvement. This calls for further efforts to improve surface water quality and to properly deal with various sources of pollution in the watershed. This combined method has proved to be effective for surface water quality evaluation and management at river or basin scales. The results of this work are expected to provide a scientific foundation for aquatic ecosystem management and planning.