Application of the Water Quality Index (WQI) to Evaluate the Groundwater Quality for Drinking Purposes in the (Fakka, Heweta) Areas, East Maysan Governorate, South Iraq

Sarteel Hamid Al-Shammary

Abstract: The objectives of this study is to analyze groundwater quality in the (Fakka, Heweta) area in Maysan Governorate in eastern Iraq according to water quality index (WQI). Ten Chemical, physical parameters such as, total hardness (TH), pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), sulfate (SO4) and nitrate (NO3) collected from 12 different locations (wells) since 2017. In this study, 25% of the water samples were found to be of good quality, 33.3% poor quality, 33.3% very poor and 8.3% unsuitable for drinking purpose. The water quality index ranges from 51.6 to 375.9. Therefore, some treatment is needed before use, as is necessary to protect that area from contamination.

Keywords: water quality index, ground water, Fakka, relative weight