Evaluation of water quality for lesser-zab river for various applications

Abstract EN

The purpose of this research was to study suitability of water in Lesser-Zab River for drinking, irrigation, fish production, swimming, and construction.

Raw water samples from Lesser-Zab River were collected for eight months, from February 2013 to September 2013.

The samples were analyzed for 15 water quality experiments.

Sodium adsorption ratio, sodium percentage, and alkalinity percentage were also determined.

The maximum values for temperature, pH, total acidity, total alkalinity, total hardness, chloride, turbidity, electrical conductivity, total salts, dissolved oxygen, five day biochemical oxygen demand, total solids, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids, and sulfate were 21.2 oC, 8.18, 20 mg/L, 188 mg/L, 180 mg/L, 11 mg/L, 127 FTU, 420 µmhos/cm, 268.8 mg/L, 9.2 mg/L, 6 mg/L, 1200 mg/L, 400 mg/L, 900 mg/L, and 0.0 mg/L, respectively.

Lesser-Zab water can be categorized as a moderately polluted water with moderately hard to hard water.

The water quality of the river remains within the standards for drinking water, but still requires appropriate treatment processes prior to consumption.

Water in Lesser Zab River is considered excellent to good and entirely safe for irrigation.

This water is also fit for fish and other aquatic animals and safe for construction, but not appropriate for swimming.