G Badalians Gholikandi - Power and Water University of Technology (PWUT)/Water Research Institute (WRI), Tehran, Iran
E Dehghanifard - Water Research Institute (WRI), Water& Wastewater Research Center / Environmental Health Engineering Department, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
A.R Asgari - Environmental Health Department, School of Public Health, Shahrood University of Medical Sciences

Preservation of main fresh water resource and primarily Karoon and Dez Rivers is of high importance regarding rapid growth of population and agricultural and industrial activities in Khuzestan province and urgent demand for available water resources. This study was conducted between August 2007 to March 2008 on Dez and Karoon Rivers in Iran to recalculate water quality index based on NSFWQI method by designing a questionnaire. The results showed that the recalculated sub-indices were a bit different with the original sub-indices of NSFWQI method. The results for zoning quality of Dez and Karoon Rivers showed that the quality of Dez River was in medium condition and means that half of the parameters are not within acceptable ranges, so water quality supports non-contact recreational uses but may not be suitable for swimming. However, the water quality of Karoon River was in bad-medium to bad condition in the most of its length due to wastewater discharges from several sources and thus means that the contact recreation (swimming) is not recommended.

Water quality monitoring, Karoon River, Dez River, NSFWQI