Monitoring the water quality of the Tigris River for drinking and irrigation purposes in Maysan Province, Iraq

A program to monitor river water quality is necessary to maintain public health and costly freshwater resources. This research was conducted to assess stream water quality for drinking and irrigation purposes at 11 stations at water treatment plant intakes along the Tigris River in Maysan Province during the summers of 2013 and 2020. Water samples were collected from the monitoring stations, and nine physicochemical parameters, including pH, phosphate, nitrate, total hardness, potassium, chlorides, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, and turbidity, were analyzed. Surface water quality was assessed on the basis of the standard specifications of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the system maintenance of Iraq's public water and river pollution. The geographical information system (GIS) was used to cover overlays and determine and analyze the pollutant load rate of the nine parameters. The pollution index method was also employed to complete the water quality assessment of the river. Results showed that the water quality parameters for all the stations exceeded the Iraqi and WHO standard specifications for drinking purposes, and the total hardness values were close to or greater than the critical limits. The statistical results of the water quality parameters for the entire study area and during the research period confirmed the results of the GIS mapping. The pollution index values for all the stations were outside the acceptable classification for irrigation and drinking purposes. This study recommends the use of simple water treatments such as sedimentation basins and filters before using the water from the stations for irrigation purposes to improve agricultural production.