Assessing the Water Quality of the Shatt Al-Shatra River Using the Canadian CWQI Model in Dhi Qar Governorate

Abstract

This research evaluates the characteristics of the Shatt Al-Shatra River water and determines its suitability for drinking according to international and Iraqi standards. The study aims to address the health issues and risks associated with pollutants in the Shatt Al-Shatra River by using the Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) model as an appropriate tool for classifying and studying the impact of different spatial and seasonal variations on the occurrence of pollution. In this research, nine indicators were studied to determine the properties of the Shatt Al-Shatra River water, including physical and chemical analyses of (temperature, turbidity, pH, total dissolved solids, total suspended solids, chlorides, sulfates, alkalinity). Bacteriological analyses included (fecal coliform bacteria) during the months of (February, July) and for three locations (beginning of the Shatt, middle of the Shatt, end of the Shatt). The results showed that the highest values of pollutant concentration indicators were recorded at the middle of the Shatt sample due to the impact of waste discharged directly into the Shatt without any significant treatment. In addition to these laboratory analyses, the researcher statistically analyzed these indicators and extracted the arithmetic mean and standard deviation of the values measured temporally and spatially, in addition to showing the variance between the sites by using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and using the least significant difference test at a value of (0.05) for all indicators. It was found from the application of the Canadian model equation to determine water quality (CWQI) that the Shatt Al-Shatra River water is classified as poor and unsuitable for drinking in the sample locations along the watercourse.