Author(s)

H.S. AL-BAHRANI, A.M. AL–DUJAILI, A.S. AL-MOUSAWI & H.A. AL–HASNAWI

Abstract

This research aims to study the variation in water quality during four seasons of year 2012–2013 for Husseiniya stream. This stream is a branch of Euphrates river in Iraq. It passes through Karbala Governorate and serves as a source for different purposes in this region. Canadian Water Quality Index (CWQI) method was used to for the classification of this stream for domestic, irrigation, and aquatic uses during winter, spring, summer, and autumn seasons. This method is classified as relative subindex technique that depends on water quality standards; therefore, water quality parameters were adopted in this method, which were taken from different international standards. These parameters were temperature, turbidity, total dissolved solids, hydrogen power, total hardness, sulphates, chlorides, lead, cadmium, aluminium, and coliform bacteria. In CWQI method, the parameters of Husseiniya stream during the four seasons were compared with their optimum (desirable) and maximum (permissible) standards. It was found that there was clear variation in the classification of CWQI between the two ways. From other side, the seasonal behaviour for this stream was not clear during the study period for all parameters and for all uses.

Keywords

Canadian Water Quality Index, Euphrates river, Husseiniya stream