Evaluation of Recreational Water Quality in Surat City Utilising a Water Quality Index (WQI)
Saxena Kalyani
Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Shree Ramkrishna Institute of Computer Education and Applied Sciences, Sarvajanik University, Surat, India.
Bhavin Bhatt *
Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Shree Ramkrishna Institute of Computer Education and Applied Sciences, Sarvajanik University, Surat, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Water is an essential resource for all living beings, serving various purposes including industrial use, agriculture, domestic needs, electricity generation, irrigation, fishing, and recreational activities. This study aims to evaluate the quality of water utilised in recreational facilities in Surat City through the application of the Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI). The Water Quality Index (WQI) provides a single value that reflects water quality based on multiple physicochemical parameters. The WQI calculation follows the methodology developed by Brown et al. in 1972. Water samples were collected from five distinct swimming pools across different areas of Surat City between January and February 2025. The analysis encompassed physical parameters such as pH, colour, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, and total suspended solids, alongside chemical parameters including total hardness, calcium, magnesium, chloride, alkalinity, turbidity, iron, aluminium, and free residual chlorine. Biological assessments utilising Standard Plate Count (SPC), Most Probable Number (MPN), and IMViC tests were conducted to detect bacterial presence. The overall Water Quality Index values ranged from 39.5 to 50.1 across the five samples, categorising the water quality as good.
Keywords: Water Quality Index (WQI), recreational facilities, physicochemical parameters, biological assessments