TITLE:
Water Quality Index Assessment under Climate Change
AUTHORS:
Nassir El-Jabi, Daniel Caissie, Noyan Turkkan
KEYWORDS:
Water Quality Index, CCME Method, Weighted Method, Climate Change Scenarios
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Water Resource and Protection,
Vol.6 No.6,
April
28,
2014
ABSTRACT:
Surface water quality may change in the future due to climatic
variability as natural processes will most likely be modified by anthropogenic
activities. As such, stream temperature is very likely to change as well which will
impact on surface water quality and aquatic ecosystem dynamics. The present
study focused on improving modelling of surface water quality indices and water
quality parameters under various climate change scenarios in relationship with
stream temperature. Future climate data were extracted from the Canadian
Coupled General Climate Model (CGCM 3.1/ T63) under the greenhouse emission
scenarios B1 and A2, as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC). This study illustrates the usefulness of the stream temperature
models, coupled with Climate Change Scenarios to predict the evolution of
future stream water temperature regimes and associated biogeochemical water
quality parameters pertaining to drinking water quality. The specific objectives
of the present study were to analyze the surface water quality of 15 rivers in
New Brunswick (Canada) on the basis of 9 parameters under climate change. A
Weighed Method and the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME)
Method were used to assess the water quality for each river under present and
future climate. The knowledge gained from this study will enable
engineers and water resources managers to better understand river thermal
regimes and climate change impact on water quality related to Drinking Surface
Water.