Monitoring and Assessment of the Chemical Characteristics of Water Produced by Purification and Desalination Plants in the Western Mountain, Libya: An Applied Study Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Spatial Analysis and Representation

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the chemical characteristics of water produced by purification and desalination plants in the Western Mountain region using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Water samples were collected from eight plants and analyzed for pH, sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg). The results were compared with the Libyan drinking water standards and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and were spatially represented using ArcGIS. The findings revealed discrepancies between the chemical values reported on bottled water labels and the laboratory results for some parameters. However, all measured values were within the permissible limits specified by the Libyan standards, indicating that the water was chemically suitable for drinking with respect to the analyzed parameters. Spatial analysis also showed relatively similar chemical characteristics among the plants, with no significant spatial variation. The study recommends regular monitoring of water quality, expanding future analyses to include additional parameters, and establishing a GIS-based spatial database to support monitoring and decision-making processes.