Simulating Water Quality of ARDAK River (Khorasan Razavi) using QUAL2KW

Considering the importance of ARDAK River and dam in supplying drinking water of MASHHAD city as one of the biggest and most densely populated religious city of the world, preserving and maintaining water quality of this river is an essential task for providing water. This case study provides a model for water quality of ARDAK River by using appropriate and relevant tools which could calculate the values of water quality parameters along the entire length of main branches and it can be a beneficial approach for monitoring water responses to various contaminants and also for future decision making.

In this research QUAL2KW dynamic model has calibrated with available previous data (July 2014) and verified by results of field sampling which has been conducted in April 2016 for different aspects of water quality.

Obtained results showed that this model made a good agreement with observed data such as DO, PH, COD and NO3 and it was able to simulate water quality for both river branches.

Abghad branch condition gets better due to less local population and contaminants, moreover agricultural, gardening and rural wastewater has affected both main branches of the river.