Water Quality I ndex of 11 Streams Pouring into Um-Alnaaj Marsh

Abstract

This paper assesses the water quality
index of 11 streams (rivers) and the
receiving UM- AL NAAJ marshland at
Misan governorate and how the water
quality is improved when entered the
marshland. The assessment employ the
Canadian Council of Ministers of the
Environment Water Quality Index (CCME
WQI) which incorporates three elements:
Scope (F 1)- the number of water quality
parameters not meeting water quality
objectives; Frequency (F 2)- the number of
times the objectives are not met; and
Amplitude (F 3)- the extent to which the
objectives are not met. The index produces a
number between 0 (worst) to 100 (best) to
reflect the water quality. Iraqi guidelines for
drinking water and the site-specific
measured values of 5 variables are used in
the index calculation.Variables included in
the index calculation were, water
temperature, dissolved oxygen, total
dissolved solids, pH, turbidity. The CCME
WQI analysis show that the average water
quality of the 11 streams, feeding Um-
Alnaaj marshland is rated as fair based on
2010 data, meaning that the conditions of
the streams were sometimes depart from
natural or desirable levels while the quality
of water inside the marsh was ranging from
good to excellent.