Groundwater quality assessment for drinking purposes using water quality index in Ali Al-Gharbi District, Iraq

The present study aimed to assess groundwater quality according to the water quality index (WQI) in Ali Al- Gharbi district of the Maysan Governorate in eastern Iraq. For this purpose, 10 physical parameters such as pH, total hardness (TH), magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+), potassium (K+), sodium (Na+), sulphate (SO42–), chloride (Cl–), nitrate (NO3–), and total dissolved solids (TDSs) were examined since 2019 from 16 different locations (viz. wells). The analysis results indicated that 18.75% of the water samples were of good quality, 56.25% of them had low quality, and 25% of such samples were very poor. The WQI also varied from 69.67 and 297.6. Therefore, prior to water use, there is a dire need for some treatments, as protecting this district from pollution is significant.