Water Quality Index (WQI) for Main Water Treatment Plants in Basra City, Iraq

Abstract

The Water Quality Index (WQI), a paramount tool for appraising potable water quality, significantly influences human health and survival. It is an index that quantifies the cumulative effect of various water quality parameters, which are integral in the computation of the index. This study was undertaken to calculate the WQI of ten water treatment facilities in Basra city, for the period spanning January to December 2021, through an evaluation of the physical and chemical attributes of the raw and treated water. Regrettably, it was found that none of the treatment plants under study produced water deemed fit for human consumption. Notably, only the Al-Garmma 1 plant was classified as delivering water of poor quality, while the remaining facilities produced water of either very poor quality or, more alarmingly, unfit for human consumption. This constitutes a grave public health concern for the residents of Basra Governorate. The findings necessitate the exploration of alternative, superior treatment methodologies to those currently employed in these facilities. It is a stark reminder of the critical role played by water treatment infrastructure in safeguarding public health and underscores the urgent need for enhancements in treatment processes in the Basra region. This study serves as a stepping-stone towards reforming water treatment practices, ultimately contributing to improved public health outcomes.

Enhanced Water Quality Prediction in the Yellow River Basin: The Application of the HHO-LSTM Model

“…Historically, water quality prediction methodologies largely depended on statistical models, including the autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA), regression analysis, grey systems, and least squares support vector machines. These approaches are known for their strong interpretability and high computational efficiency, yet they demonstrate inherent limitations in processing complex non-linear and temporal relationships [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Additionally, the effectiveness of traditional methods is often diminished due to the geographical complexity and climatic variability characteristic of the Yellow River Basin [15].…”