Network-Based Topological Exploration of the Impact of Pollution Sources on Surface Water Bodies

We developed a digital water management toolkit to evaluate the importance of the connections between water bodies and the impacts caused by pollution sources. By representing water bodies in a topological network, the relationship between point loads and basic water quality parameters is examined as a labelled network. The labels are defined based on the classification of the water bodies and pollution sources. The analysis of the topology of the network can provide information on how the possible paths of the surface water network influence the water quality. The extracted information can be used to develop a monitoring- and evidence-based decision support system. The methodological development is presented through the analysis of the physical-chemical parameters of all surface water bodies in Hungary, using the emissions of industrial plants and wastewater treatment plants. Changes in water quality are comprehensively assessed based on the water quality data recorded over the past 10 years. The results illustrate that the developed method can identify critical surface water bodies where the impact of local pollution sources is more significant. One hundred six critical water bodies have been identified, where special attention should be given to water quality improvement.

Automated summary

We developed a digital water management toolkit that evaluates the importance of connections between water bodies and pollution sources. By analyzing a topological network, we can understand how the surface water network paths influence water quality. Using data from industrial plants and wastewater treatment plants in Hungary, we assessed changes in water quality over the past decade and identified 106 critical water bodies that require attention for water quality improvement.