An evaluation of drinking-usage water quality in terms of environmental health: A case study of Siverek (Sanliurfa), Turkey.

Objective: Şanlıurfa city center and its districts were exposed to demographic high population movements with starting of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP). Moreover, with the influence of refugees from Syria, it faced population pressure over the projected future population projections. One of the most significant effects of this population pressure from the perspective of infrastructure and environment has been the inability to successfully provide a healthy water supply system. In this study, it is aimed to demonstrate the effects of environmental pressure and changes in drinking-usage water quality. Siverek District was chosen as the largest district (4314 km2 area; 2018 population total 258.265 people; center 146.131 people) in terms of representing the thirteen districts in the province. Methods: The drinking-usage water system (water resources, reservoirs, and water networks) of the district was examined. Between January 2018 - September 2018, water samples were taken from nine sampling points seasonally under the "Water Sample Acceptance Criteria" published by the General Directorate of Public Health in 2018. 500 mL sterile sodium thiosulfate bottles were used for microbiological samples and 1.5 L polyethylene bottles were used for chemical anaylsis. Coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterococci analysis were carried out by the membrane filtration method. Temperature, electrical conductivity, pH and free chlorine were measured as in situ. Fluoride, ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, chloride as spectrophotometric; trihalomethanes, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium and iron parameters were made with ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry) using EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) 200.7 method. Results: According to the results of the analysis, it has been determined that the physicochemical parameters, excluding free chlorine, are in the appropriate range according to the criteria for "Regulation on Waters for Humanitarian Consumption (ITASHY)". In terms of microbiological parameters, significant inappropriate values were determined especially in the summer and fall seasons. In the microbiological analysis, coliform bacteria were detected in 15 samples (42%), E. coli were detected in nine samples (25%) and enterococci were detected in three samples (0.8%). Conclusion: With the ongoing activities of the GAP, Sanliurfa and its districts have received a significant level of immigration from surrounding districts. This situation has also resulted in increased migration from rural areas to urban centers. Furthermore, following the Syrian civil war, Sanliurfa province has received the greatest impact of refugees in Turkey. This, in turn, had a negative effect on the management of transport, infrastructure, health, and the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]