Evaluating water quality with fuzzy logic approach

Abstract

Various water quality indexes have been used for evaluating water quality in surface waters. This study indicates a new water quality evaluating approach with Fuzzy logic method.  It demonstrates a comparative study using fuzzy logic method and conventional procedures such as Hazen, Weibull and Logarithmic methods in Surface Water Quality Management Directive (SWQM) (Turkey) to assess water quality conditions. Based on a set of data collected at three sampling stations at Melen River Basin in Turkiye was used to demonstrate the fuzzy logic and conventional methods potential. Fuzzy logic procedure was described for important water quality parameters in SWQM Directive such as low, medium, high, very high for inputs and first, second, third and fourth class water for outputs. The obtained results from fuzzy clustering application were compared with the conventional procedures to assess model potential. The findings clearly indicate that fuzzy logic method may successfully interpreted complex conditions to determine the water quality class and useful approach for verifying water quality conditions. This paper is to illustrate the usefulness of fuzzy logic model for evaluation of complex data sets in Melen River water quality assessment for effective water quality management.