Analysis of water resource conditions in the Escorial stream, Pamplona Norte de Santander

Abstract

Water pollution comes from natural and anthropogenic sources that alter its physical and chemical properties, which is why it is important to identify the source of such alteration.

In order to determine the characteristics of the water resources of the Escorial stream that runs through the urban area of the municipality of Pamplona, the physical and chemical parameters were characterized. Due to the cost of physical and chemical analyses, it was decided to carry out the characterization by means of sampling every 4 hours for 3 days. Two sampling points were selected, located at the mouth and upper part of the micro-basin, obtaining six samples. During each sampling, in situ and ex situ parameters were measured. As a result of the characterization, it was found that the stream has a certain degree of contamination identified by the presence of organic matter, determined by the COD and BOD5 parameters. This pollution comes from domestic and agricultural wastewater. Another cause is the dragging of organic matter from the soil due to erosion processes, which generate transport to the lower part. This process increases as a result of runoff produced by rainfall. Once the degree of contamination had been identified, a census was carried out in the rural area of the streams to determine the location of the dwellings and the number of inhabitants. Due to the fact that the domestic wastewater contributions made by the families in the micro-basin are scattered, it is recommended that a treatment system be implemented at the source, in accordance with the recommendations in Title J of the RAS.

Septic systems consist of a septic tank and an upflow anaerobic filter (UAF). The design flow rate of each system was calculated based on the population, gross supply, and return coefficient. In order to reduce the number of systems, the closest homes were grouped together into a single treatment system.