Page 86 - AJWEP-22-5

Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution. Vol. 22, No. 5 (2025), pp. 80-94.
doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025260208

ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Evaluation method for assessing riverbank water
intake suitability

Jing Fan 1,2† * , Meiliya Yusufujiang , and Guomin Ma 4†
3
1 Faculty of Land and Resources Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
2 College of Geography and Tourism, Zhaotong University, Zhaotong, Yunnan, China
3 School of Law, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
4 Department of Engineering Technology, Ningxia Water Investment Group Co., Ltd., Yinchuan, Ningxia, China
† These authors contributed equally to this work.
*Corresponding author: Jing Fan (fanjing2023@ztu.edu.cn)

Received: June 23, 2025; Revised: June 25, 2025; Accepted: July 1, 2025; Published online: July 17, 2025

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

1. Introduction pollution risk. As an effective means of realizing the
conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater, it has
Riverside water intake has been widely adopted in become an essential strategy for securing regional water
water supply systems owing to its advantages – such supplies, especially in areas prone to seasonal water
as high water quality, convenient access, and low scarcity. Therefore, assessing the suitability of riverside

Volume 22 Issue 5 (2025) 80 doi: 10.36922/AJWEP025260208