Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Models for Water Quality Prediction

Water Quality plays an essential role in assessing environmental health, which has profound implications for both ecosystems and human well-being. In this work, various machine learning models including Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, Gaussian Naive Bayes, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and XGBoost were employed to analyze and predict water quality. The dataset used for the analysis encompasses diverse water quality parameters such as hardness, pH levels, solids, chloramines, turbidity, sulfate among others. Class imbalances in the dataset is addressed with Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique(SMOTE). The research findings highlight the significant improvement in classification accuracy of underrepresented data points due to SMOTE, with SVM and XGBoost achieving a training accuracy of around 78% and 75%, respectively. The study used K-fold cross-validation techniques and strategies to handle convergence warnings, enhancing the credibility and adaptability of the predictions. This study not only contributes to the growing body of knowledge in water quality analysis but also provides practical insights for researchers and practitioners seeking to employ machine learning approaches in environmental monitoring, water contamination. These findings highlight the critical role of machine learning in facilitating informed decision-making for long-term water management, ensuring the health and longevity of communities and ecosystems.