Assessment of Surface Water Quality of King Abdullah Canal, Using Physico-Chemical Characteristics and Water Quality Index, Jordan ()
ABSTRACT
The main aim of this research is to
evaluate the water quality of King Abdullah Canal (KAC) using the water quality
index method (WQI). For this purpose, nine different sampling sites were used
in the calculation of WQI during the period of January to December 2012. The
samples were analyzed for various physico-chemical parameters such as pH,
electrical conductivity, total suspended solids, ions of Sodium, Potassium,
Calcium, Magnesium, Fluorite, Chloride, Sulfate, Bicarbonate, and Nitrate in
different seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn). The analyzed results (by
WQI method) have been used to suggest models for predicting water quality. The
relative weight assigned to each parameter has a range from 1 to 5, based on
the important parameters for drinking purposes. The computed WQI for the nine
samples has a range from 46.66 to 542.08. The analysis reveals that the water
quality status of the study area is varying from excellent to good in the upper
part of the canal and from poor to very poor in the lower part of the canal.
Comparing with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Jordan Standard (JS),
the results indicate that the lower part of the canal is polluted. Therefore,
the water is not safe for domestic use and needs further treatment, especially
in the lower part of the canal.