Integral Index of Water Quality: A New Methodological Proposal for Surface Waters

A methodology is proposed aimed at defining an integral index of water quality in surface waters that incorporates the information for five variables currently used to independently measure the condition of water in the Cupatítzio River, Michoacán. The variables considered were the current water quality index used by CONAGUA, the concentration of metals, biodiversity as assessed through the BMWP index, microbiological values for Escherichia coli, and the level of toxicity. The index was applied at 17 sites along the Cupatitzio riverbed in the dry season of 2017. Each variable was assigned a rank, which was standardized to a scale of 1–10 and subsequently multiplied by a weight (W) that numerically represented the degree of importance and influence that each factor had in terms of pollution. These factors depended on the anthropic condition of the area, with a value of 5 indicating the method with the most significant impact and 1 the least. The integral index of water quality (IIWQ) was calculated as the arithmetic sum of each factor considered, generating a single value. It had intervals of 15 points minimum to 150 maximum. Five water quality levels were proposed: excellent, good, fair, bad, and very bad. The results showed that, of the 17 sites studied, the majority (ten) were in the fair quality category, ranging from 69 to 95 points; six were in the good category (96 to 122 points); and only one was in the bad category (42–68 points). With the application of this methodology incorporating the information for the five variables already described, it was possible to assess the water quality conditions in the Cupatitzio River as adequate and the water as suitable for its uses in the different socioeconomic activities for which it is destined.