Journal of health research in community

Introduction and purpose: Investigation of water quality is an important step toward the suitable use of potable water supplies and choosing the proper agriculture model. Hence, the need for the study of water quality has been increasingly addressed in the water resources management programs.
Methods: In this study, hydro-geochemical quality of groundwater resources for drinking and agricultural purposes has been studied in Ramian, Golestan province, Iran. Fifteen qualitative characteristics of the 13 wells of Water Organization of Golestan province in two dry and wet seasons were analyzed during 2011-2012. The quality and diagrams demonstrating water quality were evaluated using Aua Chem and Aq-qa softwares.
Results: Groundwater in the study area was classified as hard and very hard. The main cations and anions were Na⁺>Ca²⁺> Mg²⁺ and HCO₃^-> SO₄^2->Cl^-. Based on piper diagram, the dominant hydro-chemical facies of water was Na-HCO₃. Salinity index of water indicated that most of the samples in the two seasons were in the average class. According to Schuler and Wilcox groundwater quality index, water was moderately suitable and suitable for agriculture and drinking, respectively. In addition, 77% of the cases were in C₃-S₁ category.
Conclusion: High salinity is one of the most important problems of water supply in Ramian for irrigation, which can reduce plant growth or even stop the growth of some plants. Inadequate water resources management can damage the soil in the near future.