Evaluación de la calidad del agua del río Ushimana en el área de influencia de la parroquia Alangasí y propuesta del plan de gestión de las descargas contaminantes de la zona de estudio.

Abstract

This project involves the initial evaluation of Ushimana’s river water quality located at Alangasí parish and the characterization of their major pollutant discharges. Additionally, the study includes the development of a management plan with guidelines. The recognition of human activities at the parish, and the physical conditions of the river and its tributaries were conducted; during the fieldwork, visits to the area were performed, choosing 7 representative points from both mainstream and tributaries. Furthermore, 2 sampling campaigns were carried out in order to determine the physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics of the resource. The resource properties were described through analysis conducted in the laboratory with 23 parameters in each section. Additionally, the effluent of the sewage system at San Carlos’s neighborhood was characterized by taking a composite sample. The results showed high concentrations of parameters such as BOD, COD, TS, fats and oils; values exceeding quality standards determined that the water is not suitable for conservation and aesthetic or irrigation use; ICAs calculations conducted in each section showed that water quality varies from fair to poor. The information obtained allowed to suggest alternative treatment, and a management plan to treat effluents with general guidelines to be employed as tools to improve the quality of the resource.