Introducing of Ce-Qual-W2 Model and Its Application - Water Quality Management: Assessment and Interpretation - page 90

Chapter 6
Introducing of Ce-Qual-W2 Model
and Its Application

Abstract Water authority organizations are interested in information the existing
situation, seasonal variations and expectations of the future situation of the water
quality parameters of surface and groundwater. While detail information about
surface water or ground water are available, deterministic models for predicting
future values of water quality is more proper than stochastic models. In this regard,
numerical models demonstrated an impressive capacity to support important water
resource decisions. Therefore, in this chapter Ce-Quel-W2 and Qual-2K models as
numerical models that are applied to simulate water quality are described in details.
At the end, using Ce-Qual-W2 model the water quality of Karkheh Dam, which
located in the Northwestern province of Kh

in in Iran as a case study, is
investigated. In addition the application of Qual-2K models for simulating water
quality of the K

ū zest ā

ā r ū in River, which located in the south west of Iran, was described.

6.1 Introduction

The first step of a water quality study is to identify the relevant parameter, which
affects the water quality. Rivers and streams are an important component of the
natural environment, and need to be protected from all sources of pollution because
man

s own survival depends on their use. Rivers; however, are increasingly under
human threat from different pollutants, which include conventional pollutants
(organic matter and inorganic nutrients) and hazardous substances (organic con-
taminants and heavy metals). Despite the fact that the river water quality can be
in

'

uenced by natural phenomena such as climate and geology (Boorman 2003 ), the
main sources of pollution are related to anthropogenic activities: mining, agricul-
ture, forestry, cattle farming and urbanization. As a result, river water quality is
affected by both point and diffuse sources of pollution. To tackle these typical water
quality problems, and for the sake of both ecological and human welfare, rivers (all
water resources in general) must be protected, restored and sustained (Deksissa
2004 ).