Ground Water Potability Model in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines
Richard J. Taclay, Karen D. Taclay, Ethel Rhianie H. Sinacay, Geneva S. Aragon, and Joribel T. Oldico

Nueva Vizcaya State University,
University of the Philippines Baguio

Abstract

This paper describes the characteristics of groundwater sources in one of the Northern Philippines^ municipalities. The paper included clustering of water sources based on Bacteriological test results as well as factors affecting water potability. Water samples were collected from 60 untreated pump wells in the identified municipality^s eight low-lying barangays. The water samples were subjected to bacteriological testing in the Provincial Health Office (PHO). Surveys were also conducted in the vicinity of the water pumps. The factors influencing groundwater potability were determined using Spearman^s rho and Chi-square. The discriminant analysis was used to create a model that could distinguish between water pumps that used potable and non-potable water. The study discovered that the distance between the septic tank and the flooring around the pump well were the factors influencing water potability. Based on bacteriological testing, the spatial pattern was determined to be random. The established model uses the septic tank distance, dirty drainage distance, well depth, and the presence or absence of concrete flooring around the pump well as indicators to determine the pump well^s water potability status. The model^s classification rate index was 88.89 percent.

Keywords: Water potability, Groundwater, Moran^s I, Discriminant Analysis, Mathematical Model

Topic: MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS