Qualitative and health risk assessment of water using a novel weight-integrated health hazard and fuzzy-derived indices

Abstract

Uncontrolled development and industrial progression exacerbate surface water quality, posing a risk of water-borne diseases. To assess the suitability of the water for potable use, the water quality index (WQI) has proven an effective approach. Numerous WQIs are being applied in practice; however, there is no universally accepted method that is flexible enough to assess drinking water quality for all regions around the world. To assess the water quality and validate the applicability of the proposed method, an extensive water quality survey was conducted across the Jaipur municipality, Rajasthan, India, and multiple physico-chemical parameters were analysed. The current study proposes a novel ‘Weight Integrated Health-Hazard Index’ approach to classifying water samples based on their potential risks to human health. Simultaneously, the study employs a ‘fuzzy derived index’ WQI to classify water samples based on their contaminant levels. Finally, both WQIs are utilized to classify the collected samples, and the results are integrated using a Geographical Information System (GIS) environment providing citywide visualizations. The findings reveal that more than half of the city receives ‘poor’ quality water directly associated with ‘medium’ or ‘high’ health risk levels. The proposed methodology is highly adaptable and useful for identifying priority areas within any region. It can also serve as a benchmark for similar studies in the future.