Evaluation of Water Quality in the South of Lebanon: Case Study

Abstract

This study looks into the extent of pollution in Ras El-Ain’s natural ponds in Tyr, south of Lebanon. The Lebanese government designated these ponds and other reservoirs to provide clean water for Tyr and the surrounding villages. The uncontrolled discharge of waste has harmed the ponds’ water quality. The goal of this study is to determine the amount of pollution in these natural ponds, which are located near highly inhabited regions besides many Syrian refugees, which increased water demand in the area. The samples were collected from the natural ponds, as well as from the water department that stores water from these ponds. After that, they were subjected to different basic tests (physicochemical and microbiological). The obtained results were evaluated using a special program (PhreeQC), and compared to World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The significance of this study stands out as being the first one that provides data on the pollution degree in the Ras El-Ain ponds. The outputs will help the country to save freshwater resources by reducing its pollution degree.