Influences of wastewater discharges on the water quality of Mamasin dam watershed in Aksaray, Central Anatolian part of Turkey

Sustaining the human ecological benefits of surface water requires carefully planned strategies for reducing the cumulative risks posed by diverse human activities. Municipal governments in Aksaray City play a key role in developing solutions to surface water management and protection problems. The responsibility to provide drinking water and sewage works, regulate the use of private land, and protect public health provides the mandate and authority to take action. A large part of Aksaray City uses MamasIn dam water as its primary source for drinking water. Several point sources of contamination may result from direct wastewater discharges from Melendiz and Karasu rivers, which recharge the MamasIn dam watershed. Relevant studies were carried out for monitoring the eutrophication process, which usually occurs in the static water mass of the MamasIn dam lake. This process may be caused by the continual increase in nutrients and decrease of O2 levels, causing anaerobic conditions. Stimulated algae growth in these water bodies consequently reduces water quality. Hydrochemical parameters were evaluated to estimate the types of pollution sources, the level of pollution, and its environmental impacts on the Mamasin dam drinking water reservoir