Assessment of potable water quality in Balad city, Iraq

Abstract

Abstract The assessment of the quality of tap water is very important to explore its fit for drinking, especially for developing countries. In the present paper, tap water quality evaluation has been carried out in the Balad city, Salah Al-Din Governorate, Iraq. A total of 17 tap water samples were collected from the city and analysed for various physicochemical and biological parameters, namely, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), turbidity, total hardness (TH), calcium magnesium, chloride and total coliform (TC). Suitability of water for drinking was evaluated based on the World Health Organization (WHO) and Iraqi standards. Spot maps were also generated using GIS to identify the spatial distribution of tap water quality parameters. The results revealed that the tap water is fit for drinking purpose regarding bacteriological pollution. Physicochemical parameters concentration of water samples were within standards except for turbidity. This parameter was highly exceeding the limits (5 NTU) in all tap water samples. Generally, tap water in the Balad city may pose risks to the health of people using it for drinking purposes. Moreover, cluster analysis revealed that the distribution system might affect the quality of tap water in the study area.