Chemical and microbial health risk assessment of drinking water treatment plants in Kut City, Iraq

The aim of this study is to determine suitability the quality of drinking water for human consumption. Monthly samples were taken from tow water treatment plants in Kut city with the aim of improving public health interventions. To assess drinking water quality, we measured fifteen parameters namely: temperature, pH, turbidity, TDS, TS, DO, BOD5, TH, SO4, NO3, PO4, Pb, Fe, Al and fecal coliform. All the water quality parameters are exceed maximum permissible limit values recommended by World Health Organization (2015) and Iraqi drinking water standards (417/2011), except pH, BOD5 and NO3. National Sanitation Foundation Index (NSF-WQI) were used for evaluate drinking water quality. The calculated value of NSF-WQI indicates that the drinking water quality in the city of Kut are medium category (NSF-WQI = 50-69) in all six site except KU3 and KA3 are classified as bad category (NSF-WQI = 25-49) in summer season, and that turbidity, Pb, Fe and fecal coliform are the main reason in deterioration of drinking water quality. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.