A large population and over-crowdedness highlighted the importance of studying cleanliness indices in Harsin town. According to
Table 4, the mean pH in the study areas was 8.3, which is reasonable according to national standards for permitted levels and pleasant levels (6.5 - 9). Water TDS was at appropriate levels with the exception of water in Blueredy and Elyasvand which were over the standard levels (
16-
18).
Comparing data revealed that turbidity in 58% of water resources in the study area was higher than pleasant levels but still within permitted levels. The only exception was the water acquired from Chehr village where this parameter was much higher than permitted levels, 8.19 NTU, due to the chemical qualities of the aquifer. Total hardness mean was higher than permitted levels in 84% of water resources in villages in the vicinity of Harsin town, but this was still within the permitted range of national standards (
16,
18).
The highest hardness with 359.9 (mg CaCO
3/L) was in Elyasvand village, and the lowest hardness with 185 (mg CaCO
3/L) was in Sarab Bornaj (
Table 4). This level of hardness in water resources can cause problems like blockages in house pipes or even the dispensing system network. High rates of hardness can be rooted in the type of water resources and also the existence of calcareous layers in these resources. A look at the geology and lithology aspects of the region shows that the northern altitudes of the neighboring Sahneh savannah are schist formations. Thus, they have no appropriate hydrodynamic properties due to impermeability and immovability, flowing water along fractions and breaks. Due to the formation of calcareous layers over schist formations, existing water in the calcareous layers springs out under appropriate geological conditions. This water flows along syncline channels from the schists and valleys to savannas. Then, groundwater is recharged once it is joined by this surface water. Aquifers form in savannas and alluviums. Therefore, this is the underlying cause of water hardness (
19,
20).
In the present study, alkalinity was within the permitted range, with the exception of Elyasvand village where this parameter was close to permitted levels of 324 mg CaCO
3/L (
Table 4). Thus, it needed closer control and improvement. Moreover, mean and standard deviation of other parameters of cations and anions were within the permitted range. Therefore, this was not a threat to human health and water dispensing quality. Electrical connectivity (EC) in 74% of water resources in villages in the vicinity of Harsin was over pleasant levels, but no one broke the permitted levels (
10).
In a study by Rajaei et al. titled ‘Studying drinking water quality of Birjand and Ghaen savannas’, it was shown that hardness, sulfate, sodium, chloride, and EC were over national standards with 25%, 33%, 70%, 25%, and 51% respectively (
21). As in the present study, all parameters were within pleasant and permitted standard ranges.
According to
Table 6, scale formation and corrosion indices of Harsin town water resources were 0.8 for LSI, 6.85 for RSI, 10.92 for AI, and 6.85 for PSI. It revealed that the water resources of Harsin town were highly likely to sediment with regard to LSI, and corrosive with regard to PSI. RSI and AI were within the neutral range.
A study by Khademian Ghadekolai et al. revealed that mean and standard deviation were 0.052 and 0.438 for LSI, 6.99 and 0.785 for RSI, 11.90 and 0.5 for PSI, and 5.85 and 0.81 for AI. According to the results, drinking water in Ghaemshahr was highly likely to sediment (
22). Yousefi et al. studied drinking water of Jolfa, reported LSI, RSI, PSI and AI respectively as 1.15 (± 0.43), 6.92 (± 0.54), 6.42 (± 0.9), and 12.79 (+ 0.47). Data revealed that the well water in this study was corrosive (
23). In the Arko study on the scale formation capacity of underground water in a district in Turkey (related to 12 wells), results showed that water was not corrosive, with one exception due to high sulfate concentrations. Emphasis was also placed on the connectivity in changes between underground water height and CO2 concentrations (and consequently corrosion) (
24).
5.1. Conclusions
The cations, anions, and physical and chemical indices of water resources in half the villages in the vicinity of Harsin town were within pleasant levels. Hardness parameters were within permitted levels. Indices related to scale formation and corrosion, regarding Langelier index, were mostly probable to form scales. The Pockurius index was corrosive. Rayzner and aggressiveness indices were neutral. Since water resources in Harsin town had a poor scale formation and corrosion capacity, finally, more precision was recommended in selecting pipes and other network dispensing equipment.