Using the Leopold Matrix Procedure to Assess the Environmental Impact of Pollution from Drinking Water Projects in Karbala City, Iraq

Abstract

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedure is designed to identify and predict the impacts of bio-geophysical environments on human health. In this study, the Leopold matrix was applied to predict the pollution impacts of seven water projects in Karbala city in Iraq based on water quality data collected for the period January to December 2018. The results showed that the impacts of Ca and SO4 in treated water were unacceptable in most cases due to uncontrolled dosage of alum and lime added during water treatment processes. The results also demonstrated that the maximum environmental impact (EIV) for raw water was 51.21 at Al-Hendiya Al-Qadeem water treatment plant (WTP) while that for treated water was 99.97, at Hay Al-Hussein WTP. The obtained impact values of treated water quality parameters in this study occurred due to the use of old techniques in water treatment and demonstrate the need to upgrade these techniques. The Leopold matrix was, however, shown to be good process for sifting out or mitigating the negative effects of such projects on humans and the environment.