Modification of the Water Quality Index (WQI) Process for Simple Calculation Using the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) Method: A Review

Abstract

Human activities continue to affect our water quality; it remains a major problem worldwide (particularly concerning freshwater and human consumption). A critical water quality index (WQI) method has been used to determine the overall water quality status of surface water and groundwater systems globally since the 1960s. WQI follows four steps: parameter selection, sub-indices, establishing weights, and final index aggregation, which are addressed in this review. However, the WQI method is a prolonged process and applied to specific water quality parameters, i.e., water consumption (particular area and time) and other purposes. Therefore, this review discusses the WQI method in simple steps, for water quality assessment, based on two multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods: (1) analytical hierarchical process (AHP); and (2) measuring attractiveness by a categorically based evaluation technique (MACBETH). MCDM methods can facilitate easy calculations, with less effort and great accuracy. Moreover, the uncertainty and eclipsing problems are also discussed—a challenge at every step of WQI development, particularly for parameter selection and establishing weights. This review will help provide water management authorities with useful knowledge pertaining to water usage or modification of existing indicators globally, and contribute to future WQI planning and studies for drinking, irrigation, domestic, and industrial purposes.

Various Natural and Anthropogenic Factors Responsible for Water Quality Degradation: A Review

“…Water resources are essential for life as we know it, in cultivated farmland, sustainability, human consumption, economic development, and environmental systems [1]. Globally, over five billion inhabitants are dependent on groundwater and surface water systems since people use these resources in numerous ways such as potable water, housing, crop production, and manufacturing applications [2,3].…”

Mathematical Description of the Increase in Selectivity of an Anion-Exchange Membrane Due to Its Modification with a Perfluorosulfonated Ionomer

“…A good counterion permselectivity is needed for numerous applications of IEMs: for processing solutions in the agro-food industry, in particular, for the production of fertilizers [4,5], in fuel cells [6][7][8][9], flow batteries [9][10][11] and other processes [12][13][14][15]. Water treatment remains an important application of IEMs [16,17], the significance of which increases due to the degradation of water quality in natural sources affected by human activity [18,19].…”

Occurrence and Fate of Triclosan and Triclocarban in Selected Wastewater Systems across Durban Metropolis, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

“…Wastewater systems are the primary source of pollution via which pollutants find their way into surface water systems. The pollution associated with wastewater channels is mostly of anthropogenic origin that could result from domestic, industrial, agrochemical, and pharmaceutical sources or a combination of those, which form a major point source of surface or underground water pollution [ 1 , 2 ]. It is pertinent to note that most of the waste emanating from these anthropogenic sources is raw waste, which in most cases lacks any proper treatment process from the original point source prior to being released into a wastewater treatment channel where it would undergo further treatment processes before being finally released into a surface water system.…”