Assessing pollution prevention program by QUAL2E simulation analysis for the Kao-Ping River Basin, Taiwan

Wise and sustainable uses of water resources are essential for an effective river-basin-management planning. Recent management strategy further addresses the fact that quantity and qualify of water are closely interrelated, and both must be considered simultaneously for all wafer resources and water quality management practices. The aim of this paper is to explore the impacts of wafer resources redistribution and pollution prevention actions between and within river basins simultaneously in South Taiwan. Much emphasis will be placed on assessing the impacts of wafer transfer over natural boundary to satisfy the needs of industrial development in the Tseng-Wen River system and its resultant influence on the water qualify in the downstream area of the Kao-Ping River system where the pollution prevention program is to be implemented. The Kao-Ping River was further characterized hydraulically and environmentally, based on a full investigation of discharges and withdrawals in the river reaches. QUAL2E was successfully calibrated and validated using data collected between 1998 and 1999 and the model was capable of predicting the concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, total phosphate-phosphorus, and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) for the entire river system. With the aid of QUAL2E simulation model, it shows eliminating the pig farming activities and constructing the sewer systems in the upstream area of Kao-Ping River cannot guarantee the full compliance with water qualify standards in the downstream area and wafer transfer in the upstream area further increases negative impacts on the water quality in the wet season. The predicted situation of wafer quality in the dry season may even present worse condition. Additional wafer pollution control policy, such as the use of economic instruments for controlling and reducing the waste-load of biochemical oxygen demand and ammonia-nitrogen is needed in the Kao-Ping River system in the long run. (C) 2001 Academic Press.