Assessment of Chahnimeh Water Quality through the Water Quality Index (WQI)

Imanhoma yoonnezhad; Amir Hessamhassani; Reza Arjmandi; Akramolmolok Lahijanian

doi:DOI 10.3233/AJW190033

Assessing quality of water resources and having accurate quality information are required for their management. The Chahnimeh reservoirs are the major source of drinking and agricultural water in southeast of Iran, and evaluation of their water quality is necessary. The water quality index (WQI) is the most important indicator expressing the qualitative condition of water in simple terms, without mathematical or statistical complexity. Therefore it was used in this descriptive, cross-sectional study of the first Chahnimeh reservoir based on sampling during the four seasons in 2016. Eight sampling stations were selected in the reservoir to determine six variables (nitrate, nitrite, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, hardness, and pH). Despite spatial and temporal variations and fluctuations in these parameters, the results demonstrated that water quality in the reservoir is good. Moreover, the values for all measured parameters, apart from electrical conductivity, were within acceptable – i.e., recommended – ranges. Generally, considering the WQI values, water quality in the middle part of the lake was better than at its margins. Given the increasing importance of the Chahnimeh reservoirs, continuous evaluation and a water quality monitoring programme are required

Abtahi, M., Golchinpour, N., Yaghmaeian, K., Rafiee, M., Jahangiri-rad, M., Keyani, A. and R. Saeedi (2015). A modified drinking water quality index (DWQI) for assessing drinking source water quality in rural communities of Khuzestan Province, Iran. Ecological Indicators, 53, 283-291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.02.009.

Alobaidy, A.H.M.J., Abid, H.S. and B.K. Maulood (2010). Application of water quality index for assessment of Dokan Lake Ecosystem Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Water Resource and Protection, 2, 792-798. https://doi:10.4236/jwarp.2010.29093.

Al-Omran, A., Al-Barakah, F., Altuquq, A., Aly, A. and M. Nadeem (2015). Drinking water quality assessment and water quality index of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Water Quality Research Journal, 50(3), 287-296. https://doi.org/10.2166/wqrjc.2015.039.

Boyacioglu, H. (2007). Development of a water quality index based on a European classification scheme. Water SA, 33(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/wsa.v33i1.47882.

Dwivedi, S.L. and V. Pathak (2007). A preliminary assignment of water quality index to Mandakini River, Chitrakoot. Indian Journal of Environmental Protection, 27(11), 1036.

Gajendra, R., Swapnaja, S. and M. Smita (2014). Monthly Variation of Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics of Sambhaji Lake, Solapur, Maharashtra. Advances in Applied Science Research, 5, 149-152.

Hou, W., Sun, S., Wang, M., Li, X., Zhang, N., Xin, X., Sun, L., Li, W. and R. Jia (2016). Assessing water quality of five typical reservoirs in lower reaches of Yellow River, China: Using a water quality index method. Ecological Indicators, 61, 309-316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.09.030.

Kannel, P.R., Lee, S., Lee, Y.S., Kanel, S.R. and S.P. Khan (2007). Application of water quality indices and dissolved oxygen as indicators for river water classification and urban impact assessment. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 132(1-3), 93-110. https://DOI 10.1007/s10661-006-9505-1.

Karakaya, N., Evrendilek, F., Aslan, G., Gungor, K. and D. Karakas (2011). Monitoring of lake water quality along with trophic gradient using Landsat data.

Lobato, T.C., Hauser-Davis, R.A., Oliveira, T.F., Silveira, A.M., Silva, H.A.N., Tavares, M.R.M. and A.C.F. Saraiva (2015). Construction of a novel water quality index and quality indicator for reservoir water quality evaluation: A case study in the Amazon region. Journal of Hydrology, 522, 674-683. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.01.021.

Lumb, A., Sharma, T.C. and J.F. Bibeault (2011). A review of genesis and evolution of water quality index (WQI) and some future directions. Water Quality, Exposure and Health, 3(1), 11-24. DOI 10.1007/s12403-011-0040-0.

Merchán, D., Causapé, J. and R. Abrahao (2013). Impact of irrigation implementation on hydrology and water quality in a small agricultural basin in Spain. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58(7), 1400-1413. https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2013.829576.

Mostafaei, A. (2014). Application of multivariate statistical methods and water-quality index to evaluation of water quality in the Kashkan River. Environmental Management, 53(4), 865-881. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-014-0238-6.

Pesce, S.F. and D.A. Wunderlin (2000). Use of water quality indices to verify the impact of Córdoba City (Argentina) on Suquía River. Water Research, 34(11), 2915-2926. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0043-1354(00)00036-1.

Ramakrishnaiah, C.R., Sadashivaiah, C. and G. Ranganna (2009). Monitoring of aquatic macro invertebrates as bio indicators for assessing the health of wetlands. Ecological Indicators, 9(1), 118-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2008.02.004.
Şener, Ş., Şener, E. and A. Davraz (2017). Evaluation of water quality using water quality index (WQI) method and GIS in Aksu River (SW-Turkey). Science of the Total Environment, 584, 131-144.

Sharma, D. and A. Kansal (2011). Water quality of River Yamuna using water quality index in the national capital territory, India (2000-2010). Applied Water Science, 1(3-4), 147-157. DOI 10.1007/s13201-011-0011-4.

Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater (2005). 21th edn. American Public Health Association/American Water Works Association/Water Environment Federation, Washington DC, USA.

Tyagi, S., Sharma, B., Singh, P. and R. Dobhal (2013). Water quality assessment in terms of water quality index. American Journal of Water Resources, 1(3), 34-38. DOI:10.12691/ajwr-1-3-3.

WHO (2011). Guidelines for drinking-water quality, 4th Edition. World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva.