Extreme Hydro-Meteorological Events Influence to Water Quality of Small Rivers in Urban Area: A Case Study in Northeast Poland

Abstract

This paper presents an impact of hydro-meteorological extreme events and urban catchment to water quality in small rivers in Białystok (Poland). The results from a five-year study have taken into account droughts, continuous precipitation, and storm precipitation causing flash floods. Extreme hydro-meteorological events has a different impact on the physical and chemical parameters of water. It was found that the largest change in water quality occurs on the 2nd day after the rainfall and changed concentration of some chemical parameters persists for a long time. The majority but, what’s important, not all of them are diluted after floods and concentrated after droughts. Flash flooding results in a large increase concentrations of DOC and selected forms of phosphorus. Higher values of EC, Eh, Mg ²⁺, HCO ₃ ^-, Cl ^-, SiO ₃ ^2-, NO ₃ ^-N, TN were observed during drought compared to the average values from 2014–2018. A high degree of naturalness of the river valley and increased water retention results in a decreased concentration of NH ₄ ⁺-N, DOC and phosphorus forms. The buffer zone plays an important role in limiting the inflow of pollutants and nutrients from the catchment area. That is why it is worth undertaking restoration of river valleys in urban areas.