Assessment of Water Quality of Tigris River at El- Kut Dam, Iraq

Abstract

The Tigris River in Iraq has fundamental roles in local society as a source of water for recreation; domestic use; irrigation; as well as receives of agricultural and municipals wastewater. The Canadian Council of Ministries of the Environment (CCME) Water quality Index (WQI) used for rating of water quality in Tigris River before and after El-Kut Dam indicates that the quality of water is in between marginal and fair water rank. The quality parameters determined for sources of the area showed that the water of Tigris River at all the sites was quite within the acceptable range and shows that the overall quality of water is suitable and safe for domestic and irrigation purposes. The water quality index is potentially useful as a decision tool in environmental planning and decision-making activities related to water resource protection, improvement and utilization towards a sustainable water resource management in the province of Wasit.