Water quality of UTM River: A preliminary assessment based on six parameters of Water Quality Index

It is a well-known fact that rapid development has caused widespread water pollution in Malaysia where 41 per cent of the 150 main rivers are polluted. This study provides another illustration of this fact . The water quality of the UTM River was assessed according to the six main parameters of Water Quality Index, namely, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Ammonia Nitrogen (NH3N), Alcalinity or Acidity Index (pH), and Suspended Solid (SS). Water temperature (°C) was considered as an external factor and a total of eight stations along UTM River are choosen as samples for the study. The results revealed that the value of COD, BOD, and NH3N was high at some stations in the middle of the river. The SS parameter that had high value at the upstream, and the DO parameter value was high at the middle-end and at the downstream. The pH value is in neutral condition where neither it is acidic nor alkaline. The overall contamination of the UTM river occured due to liquid and solid waste from construction, horse stables and football fields. Tightening solid waste disposal along the river would reduce this pollution trend.