UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

WATER UTILISATION DIVISION

WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT

WQB 780

2008 SEMESTER TEST

17 April 2008

Examiner: Prof. E. M. N. Chirwa Time: 120 minutes

Date & Time: 8:00 AM Maximum: 100 points

Instructions: 1. This is a CLOSED BOOK test. Consultation among candidates and reference
to material not supplied by the examiner and invigilator will result in
expulsion from the examination room and a failing grade for this test.
2. Answer ALL questions in Part I of the test and choose ONE question from
Part II of the test.
3. Write your answers in the answer book provided.
4. Write your name and student number on all submitted materials.
 PART I: Questions 1 to 4, Answer all questions.

Q1 (a) With reference to the current Water Allocation policy in South Africa, describe the
elements that are derived from:

(i) Riparian principle. ( 6 pts )

(ii) Prior appropriation allocation principle. ( 6 pts )

(b) Outline at least two advantages of the Prior Appropriation principle in the South African
context. State the most cited advantage of this water allocation principle. ( 5 pts )

[ 17 points ]

Q2 State the advantages and advantages of using the following methods as biological water quality
indicators:

(i) Feacal and Total Coliform counts. ( 4 pts )

(ii) BOD5 analysis. ( 4 pts )

(iii) COD analysis. ( 4 pts )

(iv) Microscopy. ( 4 pts )

(v) Antibody tagging, such as ELISA, and molecular biology tools such as 16S r-RNA. ( 4 pts )

[ 20 points ]

Q3 a. Explain the significance of Random Errors and Systematic Errors on the quality of laboratory
data. State how each type of error can be minimised. ( 6 pts )

b. Describe the main differences in handling procedures for (a) biological samples [e.g., for faecal
coliform determination] and (b) chemical samples [e.g. for determination of PCB concentration]
in water when the samples are collected from a distance about 100-200 km from the nearest
laboratory. ( 8 pts)

c. Describe the relationship between Quality Assurance and Quality Control. ( 4 pts )

[ 18 points ]
Q4 a. Provide the equation for measured BOD in a bottle, calculated from the difference in dissolved
oxygen concentration between time zero (D0) and time t (Dt). Use a dilution factor based on
sample volume x to 300 mL, P = x/300. ( 2 pts )

b. If a value of BOD5 is given, provide the expression for determination of ultimate BOD (BODU)
with a base-e biodegradation rate constant k d-1. ( 4 pts )

c. A natural stream receives a flow of polluted industrial wastewater with characteristics given in
Table 3 (below).

i. Determine the TSS at the outfall. Assume that the wastewater is completely mixed
across the width of the river upon entering the river. ( 2 pts )

TABLE 3. Stream BOD loading data

Location, Outfall Parameter Value for Wastewater Value for River

1st Discharge Point Flow, m3/s 0.06 0.90
TSS, mg/L 850 0
Area, A = 6 m2

ii. Assuming suspended solids settle following first order kinetics with a settleability
constant ks = 0.35 d-1, determine the TSS at a distant 20 km from the outfall. ( 5 pts )

d. If the suspended solids are 60% biodegradable and the BOD degradation rate coefficient kd =
0.43 d-1, determine the residual BOD at the point 20 km downstream of the outfall. ( 7 pts )

[ 20 points ]
 PART II: Choose one question.

Q5 a. Define and contrast between the following terms with the IWRM Framework.

i. IWRM versus ICM ( 6 pts )

ii. CM versus CMS ( 6 pts )

iii. SWRU versus ICM ( 6 pts )

b. Explain the advantage of using instream water quality standards in place of discharge point
elimination standards. Provide one example of an instream water quality standard. ( 7 pts )

[ 25 points ]

Q6 a. Which of the environmental planning strategies (IEM, EMS, EIA, EIR) is most closely
analogous to the IWRM. State why? ( 6 pts )

c. State at least 10 principles that are adhered to during the formulation and implementation of
Integrated Environmental Management (IEM). ( 10 pts )

d. Outline at least two strategies that may be used to treat acid mine drainage on a wider scale
taking into consideration long-term sustainability and environmental friendliness. State the
operational principle, and merits and demerits of the chosen system. ( 9 pts )

[ 25 points ]

TOTAL POINTS .......................................................................................................................... 100 pts

 APPENDIX 1

BOD Equations

dL
− = kd L
dt

L = Lo e − k d t

(
y = Lo 1 − e k d t )
Statistics Equations

Given

∑x
2
i
2
= x12 + x 22 + ..... + x n

∑y
2
2
i = y 12 + y 22 + ..... + y n

(∑ x )(∑ y )
∑ xy = ∑ (x − x )(y i − y ) ∑ xy = ∑ x y −
i i
i also computed as i i
n

Then the linear regression parameters can be computed as:

Slope:

(∑ x )(∑ y )
∑x y −
i i

b=
∑ xy =
∑ ( x − x )(y − y )
i i
=
i i
n
∑x 2
∑ (x − x ) 2
(∑ xi )2
∑x
i
i
2
−
n
The y-intercept

a = y −b⋅x is a function of the x and y mean values.

The regression coefficient

regression sum of sqaures

r2 =
total sum of squares

b ∑ xy
r2 =
∑y 2

⎛
⎜ ∑ xi y i −
(∑ x )(∑ y ) ⎞⎟
i i
2

⎜
r2 = ⎝
n ⎟
⎠
⎛
⎜ y2 − (∑ y ) 2
⎞
⎟
⎜∑ i
i

(∑ x ) 2
⎝
n ⎟
⎠
∑x i
2
−
n
i