Chemical Indices of Water Quality in the Zarqa River-Jordan: Concentrations of Major Cations and Water Suitability for Irrigation

摘要

Jordan is one of the world's driest countries; it has very limited resources as the demand for water exceeds available water resources, recently the problem of water scarcity increased dramatically due to increasing needs as a consequence of the increase in population and refugees. This study was conducted on the Zarqa River in Jordan; it is one of the largest rivers in Jordan. The water quality of Zarqa River was evaluated from different water quality parameters such as calcium (Ca~(2+)), sodium (Na~+), magnesium (Mg~(2+)), potassium (K~+), electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (Na%) and magnesium hazard (MH) and Kelly's ratio (KR). EC data showed that only 7% of water samples are good for irrigation, whereas 93% are in the doubtful category. Mg Hazard data revealed that all water samples are suitable for irrigation. KR data for all samples showed that just 45% of the collected samples are suitable for irrigation uses, whereas 55% are in the marginal category. The analysis of Wilcox Diagram indicated that the majority of water samples falls under the categories of high salinity and low to medium alkalinity (sodium hazard), which proves the seriousness of the water quality. High salinity in Zarqa River water requires serious attention and awareness, crops salt tolerance should be selected even with good drainage soils, and thus special sodium and salinity control are required to reduce the sodium and salinity hazard. Evaluation on a regular basis will assist planners, agriculturalists, scientists in selecting suitable alternatives and adjusting management's strategy to cope with potential water quality-related problems. Further studies will be conducted on water quality along the Zarqa River that might be helpful under prevailing conditions of use.