Spatial distribution of water pollution in the Gap Stream was investigated from October
to November, 2005. Sampling was conducted three times including effluents discharged
from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)and a dam reservoir during the low-flow period.
As a typical urban stream, total nitrogen and inorganic nitrogen concentrations
increased toward downstream. Ammonia concentration was the highest in the treated water
of the wastewater treatment plant and the lowest nitrate concentration was found in the
effluent of the dam reservoir. A part of soluble reactive phosphorous (SRP) in total
phosphorous was 22~54percent in the upstream reach of WWPT in the Gap stream whereas
68~73percent in the downstream reach. Mean chlorophyll-a concentration ranged from 1.6
to 11.0 μg/L and it tends to increase toward downstream except for WWTP effluent. As
expected, untreated wastewater and WWTP effluent were suggested as the major sources of
water pollution in the Gap Stream. In this study, the water pollution of the Gap
stream is a significant undergoing typical eutrophication, caused by excessive
phosphorus and nitrogen nutrients from WWTP located in the watershed. As a result, the
critical factor for the water pollution was evaluated to dissolved inorganic nitrogen
and phosphorus nutrients. Particularly, SRP is a most important for the eutrophication.
It suggest that may occur in the most urban streams of Korean peninsula. Therefore,
because the necessity of water pollution management in the urban stream, inorganic N
and P nutrients should be included as an essential component of water quality criteria
in the advanced water quality project of Korean Government by enforcing of water
quality assessment and total maximum daily loads(TMDLs).