Application of Water Quality Index for Assessment Water Quality in Some Bottled Water Erbil City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Water quality index was applied to assessment water quality of six different types of bottled water that's available in Erbil city (Life, Shireen, Kani, Al-Hayat, Rawan, and Masafi) for drinking purposes, depending on the physicochemical parameters of water (Turbidity, EC, TDS, pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, Ca+2, Mg+2, and No3-2). The water quality index showed that the Life, Rawan, and Masafi are excellent; also Shireen, Kani, and Al-Hayat are good for drinking purposes depending on the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. The results indicate the bottled water quality generally changed from years 2009 to 2012, some of the bottles have changed to the better and improved their quality, and another's changed to the worse side and declined their quality. WQI is also suggested as a very helpful tool that enables the public and decision makers to evaluate water quality of different bottled waters.