Assessment of water quality using multivariate statistics and geographical information systems (GIS) of Wadi Aldabab, Taiz, Yemen

The shortage of water resources in Yemen has an implication on the availability and supply of safe water in the country. This study assessed the water quality in Wadi Al-Dabab, Taiz, Yemen. Water samples were collected from the springs and different types of wells (tube, manual) with depths ranging from 9 to 500 m. Multivariate statistical analysis was performed on 15 water quality parameters (WQP) from 15 locations to investigate the significant WQP and the possibility of data reduction. The water quality index (WQI) approach was used to assess its suitability for drinking purposes. Four principal components were identified to be significant, which explained 86.2% of the overall variance while four varifactors (VF) explained 80% of the data variance. The findings showed the possibility of data reduction by 20%, which could assist in water quality monitoring at a reduced cost. The WQI map shows that the water quality is good in a limited area and poor to very poor in most of the study area. The findings are likely to assist in identifying the important WQP for the protection of the drinking water sources while the less important WQP can be excluded, which might reduce the cost of water quality monitoring. The proposed approach is likely to be a cost-effective approach for the economically weak and water-stressed countries, which can contribute positively for the sustainable water resource management in Yemen and other water-stressed regions.