A Review of Different Methods Used to Compute the Drinking Water Quality Index

Abstract

These days, the globe is very concerned about diminishing water quality (WQ) due to factors including increased industrial and agricultural activities, fast population expansion, global warming, and climate change that affect hydrological cycles. For biological purposes, freshwater availability must be sufficient, and it is also a crucial component of integrated sustainable environmental development. Among the most used instruments for characterizing WQ is the Water Quality Index (WQI). It is calculated as a single number between 0 and 100 by combining physical, chemical, and biological components. Additionally, WQI was projected as a single number that condensed the enormous number of WQ characteristics and succinctly summarized the data. Decision-making for scientists, environmental engineers, and water resource managers was facilitated by the long-term data produced by the ongoing use of WQI technology.

The primary objective of this article is to outline the top five widely used approaches for determining the drinking WQI, along with the benefits and drawbacks of each. The methods include the Weighted Arithmetic WQI (WAWQI), the National Sanitation Foundation WQI (NSF WQI), the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment WQI (CCME WQI), the Oregon WQI (OWQI), and the Bhargava WQI (BWQI). The study's goal and the water's characteristics should be considered when selecting one of the five approaches.