Regression models for the prediction of water quality in the stormwater of urban arid catchments

Data from five residential urban arid catchments were used to develop regression equations for predicting mean concentrations of selected heavy metals in the stormwater runoff from duststorm and stormwater flow properties. The selected metals are copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe). The concentrations of the selected metals were predicted through two groups of equations. The first group of equations relates concentrations of suspended sediment with duststorm and stormwater parameters, whereas the second group relates the concentrations of the suspended sediment with those of heavy metals in the stormwater runoff. The results of the predictions encouraged recommendations on the use of the equations in the investigated catchments and identified the relative importance of the stormwater runoff and duststorms on the accumulation and transportation of heavy metals in the stormwater runoff. Based on the obtained results, recommendations concerning water quality control in arid areas are made.