Assessing water quality of the Ham Luong river flowing through Ben Tre city using the WQI index
Abstract
Ben Tre City, with a total natural area of 2394.82 km2 and a population of 1,289,908 people as of April 1, 2019 [11], is traversed by the Ham Luong River, which stretches over 70 km, flowing entirely within its territory. Concurrent with socio-economic development, the issue of water pollution in the Ham Luong River has become a pressing concern for the local community. This study aims to evaluate the water quality of the Ham Luong River, specifically the section that runs through Ben Tre City, during two distinct seasons: the dry season and the rainy season, spanning from 2019 to 2021. The findings reveal that the VN-WQI (Vietnam Water Quality Index) values during the dry season fluctuate between 71 and 90 (yellow to green), which is higher compared to the values during the rainy season, ranging from 68 to 89 (yellow to green). Generally, surface water quality tends to be better during the rainy season than in the dry season. It is noteworthy that the river's capacity to directly receive wastewater from five monitoring locations exceeds the carrying capacity of the Ham Luong River section passing through Ben Tre City. This research serves as a foundational resource to assist environmental managers in implementing suitable measures to mitigate water pollution in the Ham Luong River.
