Evaluation method for assessing riverbank water intake suitability

Abstract

The conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water near rivers can effectively balance both water quantity and quality, making the suitability of water source locations critically important. To address the issue of suitability for water intake from riverine terraces, this study develops a mathematical evaluation model based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and establishes a comprehensive assessment system tailored to the optimal selection of riverside water intake sites. Based on a comprehensive analysis of the geomorphological and hydrogeological characteristics of the Weining-Yellow River alluvial plain, this study develops an evaluation model to assess the suitability of riverside water intake sites. The model incorporates eight key indicators: river low-flow discharge, riverbed siltation, aquifer permeability, aquifer thickness, presence of continuous impermeable interlayers, river water quality, groundwater quality, and groundwater depth. Indicator weights were determined using the AHP, and grading criteria were established for each parameter. Using the ArcGIS analytical platform, a suitability index was calculated, and the study area was categorized into different suitability zones based on the established classification standards. The results indicate that a substantial portion of the Weining Basin exhibits relatively favorable conditions for riverside water source extraction, with class I zones accounting for 8.63%, class II zones for 36.21%, class III zones for 17.54%, class IV zones for 23.18%, and class V zones for 14.44%. The comprehensive evaluation score for this water source site is 69 points, which can be classified as a class II (good suitability) zone. Both the theoretical framework and practical application demonstrate that the proposed evaluation method is well suited for assessing the intake suitability of riverside water intake sites.

Keywords

Groundwater / Riverside water intake sites / Suitability evaluation / Indicator system / Analytic hierarchy process / Weining basin

Funding

This research was funded by the Scientific Research Fund of the Yunnan Provincial Department of Education (Grant No. 2024J1071) and the 2024 Young Scientists Fund under the Joint Special Project for Basic Research in Undergraduate Colleges and Universities in Yunnan Province (Award No. 202401BA070001-008). The authors also gratefully acknowledge support from the 2025 Zhaotong Xingzhao Talent Support Program, as well as the research initiation grant for high-level talents (Grant No. s106240004) provided through central government funding (Yun Cai Jiao [2024] No. 104).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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