Potable Water in Iraq: Quality, Access and Public Health Impacts

Background: The quality of drinking-water is a powerful environmental determinant of health and Assurance of drinking-water safety is a foundation for the prevention and control of waterborne diseases. The water quality and health strategy is a framework for action, through obtaining the most rigorous and relevant evidence regarding water quality and health effectively inform decision making Objectives: Assessing quality of potable water in Iraq. Study some public health consequences by potable water. Methodology: Systematic review design was followed .Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Inclusion criteria: original studies published in English in peer-review journals involving potable water, quality and public health impacts in Iraq; must include a second line investigation; no restriction on study design. Studies were excluded if they involved in non-applicable criteria. Search strategy: An electronic database search was performed using MEDLINE (1980 to present) and CINAHL Plus with Full-Text (1980 to present). A keyword search yielded MeSH/CINAHL headings, which were combined and exploded. Searches were restricted to English language. The list of references was downloaded into EndNote reference manager website. Results: Diarrhea is recognized as a major cause of pediatric illness and death in Iraq, which estimated to be 24% of total death of children below 5 years old as, that is typically waterborne related diseases. Water supply networks deliver potable water in Baghdad city showed wide metal concentration variability at different geographical water plant projects, whether it is to be used for drinking, washing or landscape irrigation. Access to potable water in Iraq is almost 80% while still 20% of population have no access to safe and adequate potable water . Conclusions: Organic contents of DW indicated the presence of organic materials. However, the flocculation with ferric chloride is considered better than Aluminum sulphate for the removal of humic acids. Iron is able to bind these organic compounds and remove them from the water. The relatively expensive adsorption on activated carbon is the most efficient process to remove these contaminants. It must be used after flocculation and the oxidation phase. However, it will completely remove the added chlorine which means that the DW must be chlorinated again with a low level of chlorine to maintain it free from bacteria in the pipelines during the distribution Recommendations: Improving access and quality indicators are the main keys solar water disinfection is a low-cost method of purifying water that can often be implemented with locally available materials for the areas out of drinking water access