A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Quality at the Rosetta Branch of the Nile River, Egypt

The aim of the present study is to assess the water quality along the Rosetta branch of the Nile River, Egypt. The study area extends from upstream of the El-Rahawy drain to the end of the branch. The correlation matrix was performed to help identify the nature of correlations between the different parameters. The WQI (water quality index) was calculated seasonally at different points along the Rosetta branch to provide a simple indicator of water quality at these points. The results of WQI calculations showed that the fecal coliform is the main cause of poor water quality along the Rosetta branch. A statistical analysis was also performed using a two-way ANOVA (analysis of variance) to identify the significant sources of water pollution and to determine the impact of the parameters on a mass loading. A significant difference was observed between the impacts of the pollution sources on the water quality. Also, a significant difference was observed between the impacts of each parameter in the mass loading. The results showed that the El-Rahawy, Tala and Sabal drains are the major sources for water quality degradation along the Rosetta branch and that the effect of the El-Tahrir and the Zawyet El-Baher drains on the water quality is not significant.