Water quality assessment of the Qeha River, Ethiopia: implications for domestic use and community health in Gondar town

Abstract

Abstract Urban river ecosystems in rapidly growing cities like Gondar, Ethiopia, are severely degraded due to unregulated discharges of domestic, agricultural, and industrial effluents. This study assesses the water quality of the Qeha River using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI). Water samples were collected from six sites during the dry (March-May) and wet (June-August) seasons, analyzing key physicochemical and bacteriological parameters against WHO and Ethiopian standards. Results indicated significant contamination, with turbidity (up to 497.3 NTU), nitrate (up to 145 mg l −1 ), phosphate (up to 38 mg l −1 ), BOD (up to 126 mg l −1 ), and E. coli (up to 1179 N/100ml) often exceeding permissible limits, especially downstream. The CCME WQI rated the river’s water quality as ‘Poor’ (WQI = 45.7 in dry and 43.7 in wet seasons), highlighting its unsuitability for direct human use. The findings suggest urgent interventions, including wastewater treatment facilities and community education, to address significant health risks posed to the local population.