Water chemistry and water quality variation in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, as a function of water management for the Middle Route of South to North Water Divert Project, China

As the diversion dike of the Middle Route of the South to North Water Transfer Project （MRSNWTP）, the water quality and water quantity of Danjiangkou Reservoir is critical to the project. At present, the rates of industrial wastewater treatment and sewage discharge, which belongs to Chinese State Standard in the districts near the reservoir except Shiyan city, are less than 60% and 40% respectively. The point source pollutants will be controlled because of the project after some time, but the non-point source pollutants caused by vegetation degradation and water-soil erosion will not be controlled effectively in a long time. Water samples were collected from the Danjiangkou Reservoir during 2004 and 2005 and analyzed for trace metals, i.e., silver （Ag）, aluminum （Al）, arsenic （As）, barium （Ba）, bismuth （Bi）, calcium （Ca）, cadmium （Cd）, cobalt （Co）, chromium （Cr）, copper （Cu）, iron （Fe）, mercury （Hg）, potassium （K）, lithium （Li）, magnesium （Mg）, manganese （Mn）, molybdenum （Mo）, sodium （Na）, nickel （Ni）, lead （Pb）, antimony （Sb）, selenium （Se）, silicon （Si）, strontium （Sr）, vanadium （V）, zinc （Zn）, chemicophysical parameters and nutrients, i.e., temperature （T）, pH, dissolved oxygen （DO）, turbidity, total suspended solid （TSS）, nitrate/ammonia/ammonium-nitrogen （NO3^-/NH3/NH4^＋-N）, total nitrogen （TN）, dissolved inorganic nitrogen （DIN）, total phosphorus （TP）, potassium permanganate index （IMn）, biochemical oxygen demand （BOD）, dissolved inorganic carbon （HCO3^-）. Our results are water quality belongs to Chinese standard level II, trace metals are low, but they are accumulating, and many of which, i.e., As, Pb, will endanger reservoir water security.

Water chemistry and water quality variation in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, as a function of water management for the Middle Route of South to North Water Divert Project, China