Water Quality Assessment of the Tigris River in Baghdad Using the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME-WQI)

The objective of this study was to assess the water quality of the Tigris River in Baghdad and its northern areas through the application of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME-WQI). The study was conducted over two distinct periods representing dry (summer) and wet (winter) seasons over a 12-month period in 2021, encompassing nine strategic sampling sites along the river from Al-Karkh to Al-Wihda. Water samples were analyzed for sixteen physicochemical parameters including turbidity, alkalinity, total hardness, major ions, nutrients, and trace metals. The study revealed that water quality ranged from poor to marginal across all sampling locations, with CCME-WQI values varying between 42.1 and 56.03 during the dry period and 42.8 to 54.97 during the wet period. The findings highlight significant spatial and seasonal variations in water quality, demonstrating the severity of anthropogenic pressures on the Tigris River. This study concludes that immediate implementation of wastewater treatment, stricter pollution control, and continuous monitoring programs are urgently needed to safeguard this vital freshwater resource that supports more than 10 million inhabitants of Baghdad.