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==Water quality management in Puerto Berrío==
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This chapter is oriented to a more detailed presentation of the characteristics of the water quality system of Puerto Berrío, including a description of the drinking water and wastewater system, characteristics of the receiving water body, going from a general overview of the river basin to a more detailed description of the river stretch where the municipality is located. Finally, the relation between the river and the municipality, and its influence on people’s life will be briefly explained.
  
'''Section keywords:''' water supply, sewage system, coverage, wastewater treatment plants, DENARIO
 
  
'''Related documents:''' PBOT de Puerto Berrío, Plan de Desarrollo de Puerto Berrío 2008-2011, Plan Maestro de Saneamiento de Puerto Berrío.
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==Drinking water and wastewater management==
  
'''Expected product:''' flow diagrams for three different scenarios
 
  
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The present section is divided in four subsections, starting with a brief description of the drinking water supply system and followed by some general remarks on the sewer system of Puerto Berrío and the wastewater treatment plants found there. Finally, the fourth subsection will present a detailed description of the wastewater discharges identified in the municipality. The information presented here was mainly obtained during a field visit to the study area and was complemented with the information found in documents such as the Development Plan and the Land Use Plan of Puerto Berrío. This information is of great relevance since it serves as a base for the upcoming chapters, where the local effects of the wastewater discharges will be analyzed.
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'''Section keywords:''' water supply, sewage system, coverage, wastewater treatment plants, DENARIO
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===Drinking water supply system===
 
===Drinking water supply system===
  
The water supply service in Puerto Berrío varies from the urban to the rural area in coverage as well as in quality, being the urban area the most favoured thanks to the concentration of the population. Currently, the company Aguas del Puerto S.A. provides the urban area with drinking water, taking it from the Magdalena River and giving it a conventional treatment to reach the desired and required quality for human consumption. In the urban area 96,3% (Info Basica P.B.) of the population is covered with the service, with a supply of 140 l/s. However the coverage seems high, the distribution system presents a lot of deficiencies such as cracks, illegal connections, leaking, insufficient pressure, inadequate pipe diameters and inadequate storage capacity of the tank, causing losses of around 50%. On the other side the water quality is very good and monitored continuously in the outlet of the treatment plant.  
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The water supply service in Puerto Berrío varies from the urban to the rural area in coverage as well as in quality, being the urban area the most favored thanks to the concentration of the population. Currently, the company Aguas del Puerto S.A. provides the urban area with drinking water, taking it from the Magdalena River and giving it a conventional treatment to reach the desired and required quality for human consumption. In the urban area 100% of the population is covered with the service, with a supply of 150 l/s (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2008). Even though the coverage seems high, the distribution system presents a lot of deficiencies such as cracks, illegal connections, leaking, insufficient pressure, inadequate pipe diameters and inadequate storage capacity of the tank, causing water losses of around 50% (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2000). On the other side the water quality is very good and monitored continuously in the outlet of the treatment plant (see Figure 2).
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The individual houses and spread settlements in the rural area make it difficult to provide a centralized water supply service and usually every settlement or group of settlements has different drinking water sources with inadequate distribution networks or none at all. In the rural area, only 64.8% (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2008) of the population is connected to a water supply system, and the drinking water doesn’t receive any kind of treatment before its consumption in just about all cases. Fortunately, the region is very reach in water resources and therefore there is good availability, but the quality is not always adequate for consumption due to unprotected (deforestation) or affected watersheds by anthropogenic activities.  In the analyses of the drinking water quality in the rural area, coliform bacteria have been found, which results in health problems of the population such as skin infections, diarrhea and gastroenteritis, especially in children under 5 years.
  
The individual houses and spread settlements in the rural area make it difficult to provide a centralized water supply service and usually every settlement or group of settlements has different drinking water sources with inadequate distribution networks or none at all. In the rural area, only 64,8% (Info Basica P.B.) of the population is connected to a water supply system, and the drinking water doesn’t receive any kind of treatment before its consumption in almost all cases. Fortunately, the region is very reach in water resources and therefore there is good availability, but the quality is not always adequate for consumption due to unprotected (deforestation) or affected watersheds by anthropogenic activities.  In analysis performed to analyse the drinking water quality in the rural area, coliform bacteria have been found, which results in health problems of the population such as skin infections, diarrhoea and gastroenteritis, especially in children under 5 years.
 
  
 
===Sewer system ===
 
===Sewer system ===
  
The coverage in the sewer system presents a similar behaviour to the drinking water system. The urban area is prioritised with a coverage of 57,6% (Plan de Desarrollo), while in the rural area only very few settlements some kind of sewer system. The sewer system of Puerto Berrío was built 50 years ago, initially for the collection of rainwater but later, the wastewater was connected too making it a combined sewer system, with many hydraulic deficiencies due to under dimensioning. All discharges of the system flow into the Magdalena River or one of its tributaries without any treatment, except for a 10% of the wastewaters that are treated in a small plant called El Pensil. The current sewer system network is divided in four sectors: La Malena, Barrio Milla No. 2, Puerto Colombia and Centro. As for the rural area, the wastewater doesn’t receive any treatment and is disposed into the nearest water body, usually a tributary of the Magdalena River or the river itself depending on the location of the settlement. Discharge of total wastewater of the municipality?
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The coverage in the sewer system presents a similar behavior to the drinking water system. The urban area is prioritized with a coverage of 82.5% (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2008), while in the rural area only very few settlements are connected to some kind of sewer system. Illegal connections to the system are frequent, increasing the collection of wastewater to almost 90%, according to the land use plan (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2000). The sewer system of Puerto Berrío was built 50 years ago, initially for the collection of rainwater but later the wastewater was connected too, making it a combined sewer system with many hydraulic deficiencies due to under dimensioning. The amount of wastewater discharged by the municipality is approximately 120 L/s, based on a consumption of 150 L/s and a return coefficient of 80% (Ministerio de Desarrollo Económico, 2000). All discharges of the system flow into the Magdalena River or one of its tributaries without any treatment, except for a 3% (4 L/s) that are treated in a small plant called El Pensil. The current sewer system network is divided in four sectors: Barrio La Malena, Barrio Milla No. 2, Puerto Colombia and Centro (see Appendix A). As for the rural area and illegal settlements on the outskirts of the urban area, the wastewater doesn’t receive any treatment and is disposed into open channels (see Figure 3) or into the nearest water body, usually a tributary of the Magdalena River or the river itself depending on the location of the settlement.
  
  
 
===Wastewater treatment plants===
 
===Wastewater treatment plants===
  
In Puerto Berrío there are three wastewater treatment plants: El Pensil, Lagunas and La Malena. At the time of the field visit to the study area, the first one was operating correctly, the second had just been finished and was still being prepared for the commencement of operations, and the last one has never been operated. The treatment plant El Pensil is being operated since February 2007 and treats 12 L/s with a removal efficiency of around 84% for BOD and 75% for COD and total solids. Lagunas is the newest treatment plant and was finished in April 2008. Besides a primary treatment, the system provides a biological treatment through three oxidation ponds, one anaerobic and two facultative with expected efficiencies of 80% BOD and total solids removal. This plant was built to treat around 80% of the municipal wastewater connected to sewer system, discharged currently untreated into the Magdalena River using a pumping station. The plant La Malena was built in 1997 for the treatment of the wastewater of 285 houses of the neighborhood under the same name. It was projected for 20 years, however the construction was never completed and the plant has never been operated.
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In Puerto Berrío there are three wastewater treatment plants: El Pensil, Lagunas and La Malena. By the time of the field visit to the study area in April 2008, only the first one was working. The treatment plant El Pensil (see Figure 4) is being operated since February 2007 and treats 4 L/s (Aguas del Puerto, 2007) with a removal efficiency of around 82% for BOD and 75% for COD and total solids. Lagunas (see Figure 5) is the newest treatment plant, but not being operated yet. Besides a primary treatment, the system will provide a biological treatment through three oxidation ponds, one anaerobic and two facultative. This plant was built to treat around 80% of the municipal wastewater, discharged currently untreated into the Magdalena River using a pumping station (data from field visit). The plant La Malena was built in 1997 for the treatment of the wastewater of 285 houses of the neighborhood under the same name. It was projected for 20 years, however the construction was never completed and the plant has never been operated (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2000).
  
===Water Quality System in Puerto Berrio===
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===Wastewater discharges===
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As noted in Section 2.1.2 the wastewater from the urban area in Puerto Berrío comes from four sectors and the production is around 120 L/s. According to the population distribution, the information obtained during the field visit and the land use plan (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2000) the wastewater production of each sector was estimated as follows:
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*The sector called La Malena has a wastewater production of about 5 L/s and the discharge is done into the ravine La Malena, which flows into the Magdalena River approximately 4 km downstream of the urban area.
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*The wastewater produced by the sector Milla No. 2 is 11 L/s, which represents 9% of the total wastewater production of the urban area. 4 L/s are treated in the wastewater treatment plant El Pensil, and the remaining 7 L/s are discharged into an open channel, where the plant discharges the treated effluent as well.
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*In the settlement Puerto Colombia there are three wastewater collectors flowing directly into the Magdalena River. Moreover, due to its location and the lack of sewer system in some parts of the settlement, many houses that rise directly on the riverside discharge the wastewater individually into the river. The total discharge of this sector is estimated to be 11 L/s.  (See Appendix B)
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*The main discharge in Puerto Berrío comes from the sector Centro, where around 78% of the total wastewater is produced, i.e., 93 L/s. This wastewater doesn’t receive any treatment and is discharged into the Magdalena River by means of a pumping station to guarantee its adequate evacuation. The place of discharge is a settlement called Villas del Coral, on the outskirts of the urban area, limiting with the sector of Puerto Colombia. (See Appendix B)
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In the rural area there are only few sectors that have a network system built independently from the one in the urban area. From the settlements of the rural area, only one, Puerto Murillo, is known to discharge the wastewater into the Magdalena River. The amount of this discharge is not known, but since the rural population is relatively small and this is just one of several settlements in the area, it can be assumed that the discharge is very small and can be neglected for the purpose of this study. The rest of the settlements in the rural area discharge the wastewater into various river tributaries and it is also frequent the discharge on land.
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The situation in Puerto Berrío matches quiet well with the situation currently found in most municipalities of the Magdalena River basin. Figure 7 shows the general situation while Figure 8 shows an approximation to the specific situation of Puerto Berrío with respect to the wastewater discharges.
  
  
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'''Figure 2. General scheme of municipalities on the Magdalena River basin'''
 
'''Figure 2. General scheme of municipalities on the Magdalena River basin'''
  
Fuente: Adapted from ONF Andina - Cormagdalena, 2007
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Fuente: Adapted from Cormagdalena, 2007  
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The flow diagram in Figure 9 summarizes the information presented in the past four subsections, describing the situation of the water quality affecting system in Puerto Berrío.
  
  
 
'''Figure 3. Flow diagram: current scenario'''
 
'''Figure 3. Flow diagram: current scenario'''
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==Identification of point sources==  
 
==Identification of point sources==  

Revisión del 18:18 19 ago 2008

This chapter is oriented to a more detailed presentation of the characteristics of the water quality system of Puerto Berrío, including a description of the drinking water and wastewater system, characteristics of the receiving water body, going from a general overview of the river basin to a more detailed description of the river stretch where the municipality is located. Finally, the relation between the river and the municipality, and its influence on people’s life will be briefly explained.


Drinking water and wastewater management

The present section is divided in four subsections, starting with a brief description of the drinking water supply system and followed by some general remarks on the sewer system of Puerto Berrío and the wastewater treatment plants found there. Finally, the fourth subsection will present a detailed description of the wastewater discharges identified in the municipality. The information presented here was mainly obtained during a field visit to the study area and was complemented with the information found in documents such as the Development Plan and the Land Use Plan of Puerto Berrío. This information is of great relevance since it serves as a base for the upcoming chapters, where the local effects of the wastewater discharges will be analyzed.

Section keywords: water supply, sewage system, coverage, wastewater treatment plants, DENARIO


Drinking water supply system

The water supply service in Puerto Berrío varies from the urban to the rural area in coverage as well as in quality, being the urban area the most favored thanks to the concentration of the population. Currently, the company Aguas del Puerto S.A. provides the urban area with drinking water, taking it from the Magdalena River and giving it a conventional treatment to reach the desired and required quality for human consumption. In the urban area 100% of the population is covered with the service, with a supply of 150 l/s (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2008). Even though the coverage seems high, the distribution system presents a lot of deficiencies such as cracks, illegal connections, leaking, insufficient pressure, inadequate pipe diameters and inadequate storage capacity of the tank, causing water losses of around 50% (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2000). On the other side the water quality is very good and monitored continuously in the outlet of the treatment plant (see Figure 2).


The individual houses and spread settlements in the rural area make it difficult to provide a centralized water supply service and usually every settlement or group of settlements has different drinking water sources with inadequate distribution networks or none at all. In the rural area, only 64.8% (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2008) of the population is connected to a water supply system, and the drinking water doesn’t receive any kind of treatment before its consumption in just about all cases. Fortunately, the region is very reach in water resources and therefore there is good availability, but the quality is not always adequate for consumption due to unprotected (deforestation) or affected watersheds by anthropogenic activities. In the analyses of the drinking water quality in the rural area, coliform bacteria have been found, which results in health problems of the population such as skin infections, diarrhea and gastroenteritis, especially in children under 5 years.


Sewer system

The coverage in the sewer system presents a similar behavior to the drinking water system. The urban area is prioritized with a coverage of 82.5% (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2008), while in the rural area only very few settlements are connected to some kind of sewer system. Illegal connections to the system are frequent, increasing the collection of wastewater to almost 90%, according to the land use plan (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2000). The sewer system of Puerto Berrío was built 50 years ago, initially for the collection of rainwater but later the wastewater was connected too, making it a combined sewer system with many hydraulic deficiencies due to under dimensioning. The amount of wastewater discharged by the municipality is approximately 120 L/s, based on a consumption of 150 L/s and a return coefficient of 80% (Ministerio de Desarrollo Económico, 2000). All discharges of the system flow into the Magdalena River or one of its tributaries without any treatment, except for a 3% (4 L/s) that are treated in a small plant called El Pensil. The current sewer system network is divided in four sectors: Barrio La Malena, Barrio Milla No. 2, Puerto Colombia and Centro (see Appendix A). As for the rural area and illegal settlements on the outskirts of the urban area, the wastewater doesn’t receive any treatment and is disposed into open channels (see Figure 3) or into the nearest water body, usually a tributary of the Magdalena River or the river itself depending on the location of the settlement.


Wastewater treatment plants

In Puerto Berrío there are three wastewater treatment plants: El Pensil, Lagunas and La Malena. By the time of the field visit to the study area in April 2008, only the first one was working. The treatment plant El Pensil (see Figure 4) is being operated since February 2007 and treats 4 L/s (Aguas del Puerto, 2007) with a removal efficiency of around 82% for BOD and 75% for COD and total solids. Lagunas (see Figure 5) is the newest treatment plant, but not being operated yet. Besides a primary treatment, the system will provide a biological treatment through three oxidation ponds, one anaerobic and two facultative. This plant was built to treat around 80% of the municipal wastewater, discharged currently untreated into the Magdalena River using a pumping station (data from field visit). The plant La Malena was built in 1997 for the treatment of the wastewater of 285 houses of the neighborhood under the same name. It was projected for 20 years, however the construction was never completed and the plant has never been operated (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2000).


Wastewater discharges

As noted in Section 2.1.2 the wastewater from the urban area in Puerto Berrío comes from four sectors and the production is around 120 L/s. According to the population distribution, the information obtained during the field visit and the land use plan (Alcaldía Municipal de Puerto Berrío, 2000) the wastewater production of each sector was estimated as follows:

  • The sector called La Malena has a wastewater production of about 5 L/s and the discharge is done into the ravine La Malena, which flows into the Magdalena River approximately 4 km downstream of the urban area.
  • The wastewater produced by the sector Milla No. 2 is 11 L/s, which represents 9% of the total wastewater production of the urban area. 4 L/s are treated in the wastewater treatment plant El Pensil, and the remaining 7 L/s are discharged into an open channel, where the plant discharges the treated effluent as well.
  • In the settlement Puerto Colombia there are three wastewater collectors flowing directly into the Magdalena River. Moreover, due to its location and the lack of sewer system in some parts of the settlement, many houses that rise directly on the riverside discharge the wastewater individually into the river. The total discharge of this sector is estimated to be 11 L/s. (See Appendix B)
  • The main discharge in Puerto Berrío comes from the sector Centro, where around 78% of the total wastewater is produced, i.e., 93 L/s. This wastewater doesn’t receive any treatment and is discharged into the Magdalena River by means of a pumping station to guarantee its adequate evacuation. The place of discharge is a settlement called Villas del Coral, on the outskirts of the urban area, limiting with the sector of Puerto Colombia. (See Appendix B)


In the rural area there are only few sectors that have a network system built independently from the one in the urban area. From the settlements of the rural area, only one, Puerto Murillo, is known to discharge the wastewater into the Magdalena River. The amount of this discharge is not known, but since the rural population is relatively small and this is just one of several settlements in the area, it can be assumed that the discharge is very small and can be neglected for the purpose of this study. The rest of the settlements in the rural area discharge the wastewater into various river tributaries and it is also frequent the discharge on land.


The situation in Puerto Berrío matches quiet well with the situation currently found in most municipalities of the Magdalena River basin. Figure 7 shows the general situation while Figure 8 shows an approximation to the specific situation of Puerto Berrío with respect to the wastewater discharges.


2 MEU Esquema Pto Berrio 0608.jpg

Figure 2. General scheme of municipalities on the Magdalena River basin

Fuente: Adapted from Cormagdalena, 2007


The flow diagram in Figure 9 summarizes the information presented in the past four subsections, describing the situation of the water quality affecting system in Puerto Berrío.


Figure 3. Flow diagram: current scenario


Identification of point sources

Section keywords: Treated wastewater, untreated waste water, location, distances, amount.

Related documents: Plan de Vertimientos de Puerto Berrío, PBOT Puerto Berrío.

Expected product: Sketch of the municipality and the river with the identified point sources. Map or aereal photograph with the river stretch delimitation and the identification of the wastewater discharge point sources.


According to the definition given by the U.S.A. Environmental Protection Agency, E.P.A. a point source is a stationary location or fixed facility from which pollutants are discharged or any single identifiable source of pollution; e.g. a pipe, ditch, ship, ore pit, factory smokestack. Tomado de EPA Terms of Environment. As mentioned in the previous section, the wastewater network of Puerto Berrío can be divided in four sectors. The Land Use Plan (2000), identifies the wastewater discharges into the Magdalena River or one of its tributaries as follows:

  • The main discharge comes from the sector Centro, where around 80% of the urban population is found. This wastewater doesn’t receive any treatment and flows first into a pumping station from which it is pumped to guarantee the adequate evacuation into the Magdalena River.
  • In Puerto Colombia there are three wastewater collectors, all of them flowing directly into the Magdalena River. Besides, due to the location of the neighborhood, there are some houses on the riverside, which discharge the wastewater individually and directly into the river.


(Section to be completed)

Description of the receiving water body

Section keywords: river stretch, flow discharge, water quality, seasonal variations, POEM


As has been mentioned already, Puerto Berrío is located on the riverside of the Magdalena River, and it has grown to the interior as well as along the river, which is used as receiving water body for most of the wastewater discharges of the municipality. This sections will give a brief presentation of some characteristics of the Magdalena watershed, of the river and specially of the river stretch affected particularly by the discharges of Puerto Berrío, which need to be taken into account and will serve as a base later on for the analysis of the system city-river.


The Magdalena River Basin

The size of the Magdalena River Basin is 199.294 Km2, occupying 17% of the whole national territory. As mentioned previously, the length of the river is 1.528 Km, from which 886 Km are navigable making it an important communication and transport route, both of them relevant aspects for the economy of the country. It rises in the south, at a height of 5.617 m above sea level and flows to the North, flowing into the Caribbean Sea (see Figure 2). The population in the river basin is 20.8 million, which represents 49% of the country’s population (census 2006). 17 departments and 557 municipalities are settled on the river basin, making its management quiet a challenge (See Figure 3). (PMC, 2007).


5 MEU Rio Magdalena 0608.jpg

Figure 5 The Magdalena River in Colombia

Fuente: Wikipedia


6 MEU Cuenca Rio Magdalena 0608.jpg

Figure 6 Departments in the Magdalena River Basin

Fuente: FFEM - Cormagdalena, 2007


The climate in the region is warm, with temperatures that go over the 24°C and with two dry periods, one between January and March and the other one between June and August. The rainy seasons are also two, one in May and April and one from September till December. The dry periods are usually short or interrupted by the rain Colombia Multicolor. According to the bimodal distribution of the rain and the dry periods, clearly influenced by the Intertropical Convergence Front, the river discharge also presents two low water seasons. Though a natural behavior of the river, the low water seasons entail a series of problems such as limited availability in the reservoirs and drinking water intakes, restricted navigability due to very low water levels and erosion of the river bed and bank (PMC). In the middle Magdalena region, the morphology of the river is mainly flat, with smooth undulations, meandered to the south and braided to the north. Some formations found here are flood plains and terraces, islets, swamps and abandoned channels. The islands, some of them very large, and spread channels are the more significant formations (Ingeominas, 1999).

Water quality of the Magdalena River

Water quality is defined by several physical, chemical and biological variables. Some of the physical variables are temperature, color, turbidity and suspended solids; in the group of chemical variables belong nutrients, minerals, metals, oxygen and organic compounds; and finally biological variables are those related to the type and quantity of aquatic plants, animals, algae, bacteria and protozoan parasites (Alberta Government, 2006). Many of these variables, more specifically those that are quantifiable, can be used as indicators. Indicators are variables that give representative and simplified information about their evolution or change. Once the indicators are selected, ranges and limiting values are set for each one of them, depending on the expected function of the system under study. In the specific case of water quality, indicators are meant to be used for example to establish if water resources have a good or bad water quality, or if they are adequate or inadequate for any use that is being considered, such as aquatic life, human consumption or recreation. In Colombia, the entity that carries out monitoring activities of the quality of the water resources at the national level is the IDEAM (see page 8). At the present, the entity uses four environmental indicators to determine the state of the national surface water resources, namely temperature, pH, chemical oxygen demand and oxygen deficit (see Figure 7 to Figure 10). For the present document, the main area of interest is the water quality of the Magdalena River basin and especially in Puerto Berrío. The location of the municipality is shown in the maps by a black dot.


7 MEU Mapa Temperatura R Magdalena 0608.jpg See in original size

Figure 7 Temperature of surface water in Colombia

Fuente: Ideam, 2001

The temperature map was constructed based on historical data collected by IDEAM during 13 years until 1999. It shows a large area of the surface water resources of the country with a mean temperature between 25 and 30ºC. The upper part of the Magdalena River basin belongs to this area and the rest belongs mostly to the category of 20 to 25ºC, including the municipality of Puerto Berrío. Water temperature is an important parameter to be considered when analyzing the suitability of the water body as habitat for living species. It also gains importance due to the fact that all chemical and biological process rates depend upon it (Orlob, 1983), and it has a strong influence on other parameters, such as pH, conductivity and oxygen deficit (IDEAM 2001).

The following map showing the distribution of the pH values was also based on historical data, starting in 1976 until 1999. The pH of the water defines to some extent its capacity of self-purification, and therefore its COD and BOD content. Common pH values in natural waters are between 6.5 and 8.5 (IDEAM 2001). According to the mean pH values obtained throughout those years, the country’s surface water could be divided in two large areas, one on the northern part with a pH of 6 (light blue) and the other one with a pH of 5 in the southern part (yellow), besides some smaller individual spots showing a pH of 7 or 8. The Magdalena River was found to have a pH of 6 in almost all its length, except for the upper and the lower part, where it shows higher values.


8 MEU Mapa pH R Magdalena 0608.jpg See in original size

Figure 8 pH of surface water in Colombia

Fuente: Ideam, 2001


The chemical oxygen demand (COD), i.e. the amount of dissolved oxygen consumed during the oxidation of organic and inorganic compounds in the water (IDEAM 2001), measured in the surface water resources of Colombia shows values between 0 and 20 mg O2/L in a large area of the country (light blue). However there is a significant area showing higher values of 21 to 41 mg O2/L (green) and even higher in some smaller regions (yellow, brown and red). With regards to the Magdalena River, more than half of the river basin is located on the green area and the rest on the light blue. In Puerto Berrío, the COD was found to have values between 21 to 41 mg O2/L (see Figure 9).

A parameter that is strongly related to the COD and the BOD (Biological oxygen demand) is the oxygen deficit. It is a value that indicates the difference between the dissolved oxygen present in the water and the theoretical maximum value. This maximum value is determined based on the atmospheric pressure and the temperature of the place under study (IDEAM 2001). The higher the oxygen deficit, the lower the dissolved oxygen available in the water for the living organisms that depend on it. The Magdalena River presents the lowest oxygen deficit, 0 to 20%, in the southern part, and it increases in the middle and upper part, with values between 20 and 40%.


9 MEU Mapa DQO R Magdalena 0608.jpg See in original size

Figure 9 COD in surface water in Colombia

Fuente: Ideam, 2001


10 MEU Mapa Deficit Oxigeno R Magdalena 0608.jpg See in original size

Figure 10 Oxygen deficit in surface water in Colombia

Fuente: Ideam, 2001


Even though these maps are not very recent, they give an idea of the state of the surface water resources in the country. Newer data have been obtained recently, particularly for the Magdalena River. During the past two years (2006 and 2007), exhaustive water quality monitoring activities were carried out by the IDEAM together with Cormagdalena. Several variables where measured both in the high and low water seasons, some of them on site like pH, temperature, conductivity and dissolved oxygen, and the rest through laboratory procedures. Some of the measured variables were the biochemical oxygen demand, turbidity, total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, nitrogen compounds, phosphorus compounds, E-Coli, total coliform bacteria and metals in water and sediments. For the analysis of the measurements, the General Quality Index was estimated according to guidelines of the IDEAM. This index referred to as ICAg (from its name in Spanish) is calculated based on two other indexes, namely the Aggregated Index of Physico-chemical and Bacteriological quality, calculated with the measured physico-chemical parameters, and the Lotic Index of General Environmental Capacity, directly related to the river flow which plays a significant role in the assimilation of pollutants and the self-recovery (self-purification?) processes of the river. According to this last index, the environmental capacity of a stream varies from very low, for flows less than 1 m3/s, to very high, for flows higher than 1.000 m3/s. The Magdalena River flow could be classified in the category of 100 to 1000 m3/s, which puts it in the category of high environmental capacity. For the ICAg, the values range from 0 to 1, distributed as follows:

  • Very bad: 0-0,25
  • Bad: 0,26-0,50
  • Middle: 0,51-0,70
  • Good: 0,71-0,90
  • Excellent: 0,91-1,00

The results obtained for the Magdalena River reflect that 47% of the river has a good water quality, while the rest has a middle water quality. Also no heavy metals were detected. A more detailed presentation of the individual parameters measured during these monitoring activities is given in the next section (Campaña Monitoreo IDEAM, 2007)

Clasification of the river stretch according to existing water quality data

Section keywords: physical and chemical water quality parameters, monitoring, measurements, updated data.

Expected product: Map with the classified river stretch

Related documents: Leitfaden zur typspezifischen Bewertung der allgemeinen chemisch/physikalischen Parameter in Fließgewässern [Lebensministerium Österreich, 2005], Gewässergütekarte Baden-Württemberg [Landesanstalt für Umweltschutz Baden-Württemberg, 1998]; Gütebericht 2002: Entwicklung der Fließgewässerbeschaffenheit in Baden-Württemberg - chemisch-biologisch-morphologisch - [Landesanstalt für Umweltschutz Baden-Württemberg, 2002]; Gütezustand der Fließgewässer Neckar-Einzugsgebiet [Gewässerdirektion Neckar, Besigheim,2005], Nueva medición de la calidad de agua en los rios Magdalena, y Cauca [IDEAM, Cormagdalena y ONF Andina, 2007], Datos de programa de monitoreo de ISAGEN.


Puerto Berrío – Magdalena River: System definition and boundaries

As mentioned previously in section 2.3.2, water quality monitoring activities were carried out along the Magdalena River during the past two years in order to establish the status quo of the resource. For the present study only the data obtained for a stretch of the river, namely the stretch concerning Puerto Berrío, will be analyzed, including some municipalities and tributaries upstream and downstream. The simplified scheme in Figure 11 shows the situation of the river stretch with some of the significant municipalities and tributaries and also the existing data (from IDEAM and other sources) that will serve as a base for the coming sections.


11 MEU Esquema tramo R Magdalena 0608.jpg

Figure 11 Simplified representation of river stretch in the Middle Magdalena


In the scheme six different types of information are shown and they will be used for different analyses as well. The river water quality data from 2007, will be used to present the longitudinal variation of the water quality, while the periodic monitoring data (represented by the yellow circle), will be used to show the water quality seasonal variations during the year and the data from the limnigraphic station in Puerto Berrío will be used to show the seasonal variations of the river flow and levels. At the end of this section, some more specific water quality measurements and discharge characterization performed by the municipality of Puerto Berrío will be presented.


Longitudinal water quality variations

River systems have physical and chemical characteristics that differentiate them from other water systems, such as lakes. In a river there is a predominant longitudinal movement of pollutants and other substances, which means that the length of the river is the most relevant aspect, while the vertical dimension can be assumed as homogeneous, therefore the river depth is not as relevant (Hahn’s lecture script 2007-08).

These characteristics of the river influence the movement and transformation of the discharged pollutants. Many biological, chemical and physical processes are taking place along the system causing fluctuations in the various water quality parameters. These processes can be generally classified in two categories: transport processes, which have a similar effect on all water quality parameters, and transformation processes, which have a different effect depending on the constituent. All processes will be briefly explained in this section, and they will be treated more in depth in the next chapter (see Chapter 3, section 3.1.), according to their relevance. At the end of this section, the longitudinal variations found for the river stretch (see Figure 11) will be shown in various graphs.

There are two main transport processes taking place in a river, namely advection and diffusion. Advection is the transport of a constituent due to the water flow in which it is dissolved or suspended, and diffusion is caused by water turbulence and can also be described as a localized mixing phenomenon.. Among the transformation processes, following are found (Metcalf & Eddy, 1995):


  • BOD oxidation: The biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) is a measurement of the organic matter contained in the water that is biologically degradable. In order to be able to oxidize or degrade the BOD, the organisms in the water need to consume oxygen that is dissolved in it and therefore available. There are two types of BOD: the carbonaceous BOD, that is degraded in first place, and the nitrogenous BOD that is degraded 8 to 12 days after.
  • Surface reaeration: is the oxygen net flux occurring between the atmosphere and a water body with a free surface and a concentration of dissolved oxygen below the saturation point.
  • Sediments oxygen demand (SOD): Part of the solids contained in the water are organic. Once they sediment, a degradation process starts on the bottom, which can be aerobic or anaerobic depending upon the conditions. Under aerobic conditions, dissolved oxygen is consumed during this process.
  • Photosynthesis and respiration: The levels of dissolved oxygen in the water can be affected by algae (e.g. phytoplankton) and macrophyte growth, whose source of nutrients are the ammonia and the nitrates. Under daylight conditions, these organisms release oxygen due to the photosynthetic processes. During the night instead, they respire, i.e. they consume oxygen. This causes short-term variations in the dissolved oxygen concentration, but in case of a loss of equilibrium, for example excessive algae growth, could turn into long-term variations.
  • Solids sedimentation: the solids contained or discharged in the water have a natural tendency to sediment, however this process can be either favored or inhibit by other factors. In rivers for example, turbulence causes a distribution of the solids all over the water column. Sedimentation velocities are usually small.
  • Bacteria mortality: is the velocity of disappearance of pathogen bacteria and viruses.
  • Adsorption: it is the process of adhesion of chemical water constituents to solids.
  • Volatility: is similar process to that of reaeration, but in this case the net flux goes from the water to the atmosphere, releasing some constituents such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs)


These processes are not individual and independent; on the contrary, as a natural behavior of any system, they present many interrelations affecting not only one water quality parameter, but also many others. For example the organic matter or BOD degradation affects the dissolved oxygen concentration and the temperature, the sedimentation not only reduces the content of suspended solids, but also the BOD and COD as it “removes” organic matter, and so on (See Figure 12). The graph shows the longitudinal, sequential changes of BOD, DO and temperature along the Neckar River.

Between the municipalities of Puerto Boyacá and Puerto Wilches, the Magdalena flows through a distance of approximately 210 km. Along this distance, the river receives several discharges both from municipalities and tributaries. These contributions have usually a high organic load because of the lack of sewer systems and wastewater treatment plants in the municipalities, which then have to discharge their untreated wastewater either directly into the river or into one of its tributaries. According to the PMC 2007, the organic loads discharged by the municipalities of Puerto Boyacá, Puerto Berrío, Barrancabermeja and Puerto Wilches are approximately 1.340 Kg/day, 1.712 Kg/day, 8.079 Kg/day and 748 Kg/day respectively. These loads were calculated based on the urban population of the municipalities, so it can be assumed that the loads are somewhat higher if the rural area is considered. The following graphs show some of the results obtained for several water quality parameters in the river stretch during the monitoring activities carried out in 2006 and 2007.

Seasonal water quality, flow and level variations

This section will give a brief presentation of the seasonal water quality and flow variations that take place in in the Magdalena River and that affect the municipality of Puerto Berrío. The water quality variations are presented based on data obtained from the monitoring activities performed by the company ISAGEN, which operates a power station 5 km upstream from Puerto Berrío. The monitoring activities started in 2002 till the present (data was available until 2007). As for the river flow and level variations, the results are based on data collected in the limnigraphic station from IDEAM located some few meters before the port, in Puerto Berrío. These data were available from 1987 to 2003.

The seasonal flow and level variations in Puerto Berrío show both a very similar behavior, with a bimodal distribution. The low water or low flow season can be easily identified in two periods of the year, namely between January and March and July and September. On the other hand, the months with the higher flows and water levels are May and November (see Figure 20 and Figure 21).

The annual mean flow for the period 1987-2003 in Puerto Berrío was 2.140 m3/s, and the annual mean water level for the same period was 3.7 meters. For the determination of the water levels, the lowest elevation, i.e. the one from the riverbed, is taken as a reference point. In Puerto Berrío, this elevation is 104.47 meters above sea level. (PBOT, 2000). Water quality, flow and level seasonal variations play an important role when analyzing the impact of wastewater discharges into a river. On one hand, the water level determines if the pipe, according to its location, discharges the wastewater to the open air or submerged. This is the case in Puerto Berrío, where the low flow seasons are critical periods because the water level is not high enough to cover the outlet of the pipes and the wastewater is then discharged on the ground and flows into the river, where it is finally diluted. The level is then related to the mixing zone. When discharging wastewater into a river a fast mixing is desired, especially for reducing the toxicity of some chemical compounds. On the other hand, pollutants dilution does not only depend on the water level and the mixing zone. The available dilution flow is crucial in the wastewater discharge process. The dilution flow refers to both the quantity of water that is available for the dilution of the wastewater, and the quality of the water. Depending on the flow, the concentration of the constituents of interest in the receiving water body, and the desired water quality to be maintained, the capacity of a water body to assimilate discharged pollutants can be determined. The concepts of dilution flow and mixing zone will be studied more in detail in the next chapter (See Chapter 3, section 3.1).


River stretch characteristics

Section Keywords: Aerial photograph, google Earth image, city plan, detailed sketch with river stretch dimensions, identified point sources, river flow, etc. Water quality data for the stretch and characterization of the discharges.


After having presented the general characteristics of the receiving water, this section will be focused on a more limited part of the river, namely the river stretch that flows directly in front of the urban area of Puerto Berrío and where the previously identified point sources are discharged. For a better description of the river stretch to reference points were selected. The reasons for choosing them were the available data provided by the limnigraphic station (see section 2.3) and the relevance with regard to the wastewater discharges (see section 2.1.4) respectively. The first reference (1) point is located few meters below the bridge and the second reference point (2) is the branch of the river formed by the islets in front of the settlement of Puerto Colombia (see Figure 23).


Figures 23 and 24


Figure 24 locates both reference points in the river map and profile and gives an idea of the morphology of the riverbed and the formations found in the river stretch. Table 1 shows the general characteristics of these points.


Table 1


Further on, the present study will be focusing on the reference point No. 2, namely the branch of the river where the main wastewater discharges were identified, however, due to the lack of data for this part of the river, it was necessary to take the reference point No. 1, for which enough data were available, as a base for calculating some of the other values, such as flow, water level and flow velocity during the high and low water seasons. The average data for October and January were chosen as representative for each season. The results of these calculations are displayed in Table 2.


Table 2


River related activities in Puerto Berrío

Section keywords: water withdrawal, drinking water treatment plant, raw water supply (informal), sand and other material extraction, recreation, fishing, navigation, public health.

The people in Puerto Berrío have a very strong relationship with the Magdalena River. It influences their culture, their economy, their environment, their sanitation and their living style. It is a referent in the region and as such there are many different river related activities carried out. Starting with the economic activities, the navigation, mainly for freight transport is the most important one when speaking on a larger scale. It is the base of commerce and other business in the region and to a large extent in the country. Going on a less large scale, the river is also an important communication way between the nearest municipalities on the riverside. Other two economic activities carried out in the river at a local scale are the fishing and the sand extraction. They can be considered informal activities performed by the people in order to make a living out of it and hence the conditions are not the best.

With regard to sanitation aspects, an important service of the river is the supply of water for drinking and other domestic purposes. Even though it might not be the ideal drinking water source due to the load of pollutants it receives along its path, in Puerto Berrío the river water quality is still under the limits that allow its use for human consumption, after receiving the appropriate treatment. Besides, it is a reliable source due to the large water flow, even during the dry seasons. However, not all the water extracted from the river for human consumption or other domestic uses receives the adequate treatment. Due to the spread and increase of illegal and informal settlements, the current water supply system does not meet the necessities of many people in the municipality, leaving them with the only choice of taking the water from the nearest water body. Also for the Puerto Berrío and many other municipalities on the riverside, the Magdalena river acts as receiving water body for the discharge of treated and untreated wastewater and in some parts even for the disposal of solid wastes. The wastewater discharged into the river is then diluted and transported downstream while undergoing a purification process in the river.

Last but not least, the river is used for recreation purposes such as tourism and bathing, and it is part of an ecosystem that provides habitat for many flora and fauna species.


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