Ground Water Quality of Selected Areas in the Northeastern Mosul City and their Assessments for Domestic and Agricultural Usage

Abstract

The present study focuses on the assessment of groundwater for domestic and agricultural usages in two areas northeastern Mosul city: the first is located between Mosul city and Bashiqa Mountain, and the second is located between the road of Mosul-Alqosh and Shikhan – Dahqan – Alqosh Mountains which represents the Alqosh plain. These two locations were classified as agricultural areas. And their villagers use the groundwater for domestic and irrigation. The present study evaluates the groundwater for drinking using the water quality index (WQI). The assessment is achieved by calculating the (WQI) index from the physical and chemical parameters (pH, E.C., T.D.S., T.H., Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, SO42-, Cl- and NO3- ). The results confirm that the groundwater of the first area is classified as a poor class (WQI=56-73) for drinking due to its reservoir present within the sandstone layers of Injana Formation, which is affected by the infiltration of surface water through soil zone that contains the weathering fragments of carbonates and gypsum. The other wells of this area located along the road between Mosul city and Bashiqa Mountain are classified as very poor to unsuitable class for drinking (WQI=76-135) due to the presence of these wells within Fat'ha Formation rocks, except the Al-benit farm and Al-Fadelya1 groundwater that is classified as a good class for drinking (WQI<50). The Alqosh plain groundwater is classified as excellent to good class for drinking (WQI=15-36) because of their reservoir is present within sandstone layers of Injana Formation, except the wells of Kir-Ishaq, Batnaya, and Alqosh, and Alzayton village which is classified as poor (WQI=61) and unsuitable class (WQI=111-115) for drinking respectively because of their reservoirs are present within gypsum layers of Fat'ha Formation.