Zabihollah Yousefi - Department of Health,Health Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University Of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Samad Rouhani - Department of Health,Health Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University Of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
Seyyed Mohsen Ansari-Yeganeh - School of public health, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences

Background and purpose: Water is the most important limiting factor of sustainable development. Poor quality of water sources and lack of appropriate management in some regions are the main reasons of water crises in the country. This study was conducted to assess water sources quality and the trend of their change in rural area of Sabzevar County in a five year period. Materials and Methods: In total ۴۳ sources of water in villages or complexes with more than ۷۰۰ population were selected randomly and their Physico-Chemical and microbiological variables were studied. For microbiological characteristics ۸۰۱ samples from those ۴۳ sources were taken and examined in a five year period. Results: The results showed that the average microbial contamination of all ۸۰۱ samples from ۴۳ sources during a five year period was ۱۲.۳ with a variance of ۱۳.۳. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) index was ۳۴۹.۰۲ ppm with variance of ۱۹۳.۷۰۴ ppm. In three sources, the TDS index had statistically significantly difference with the maximum level of ۵۰۰ ppm. The maximum limit of EC of water from wells in a three years period has increased from ۲۵۲۶ in year ۱ to ۳۲۱۳ in year three of study. Among ۴۳ sources of rural drinking water, just one source, with average ۴.۷± ۳.۹ ppm had statistically significantly difference with the upper limit maximum of ۱.۵ mg per litter. Conclusion: Having positive result of E-coli in some of water sources and high level of some Physico-Chemical indexes and the increasing trend of declining quality of water sources in a five year period of study, therefore creating a GIS based data bank of water quality for continues monitoring of change in water quality, improvement and filtration of some sources, and replacement with a sources of better quality are essential.

water sources, quality variations, rural regions, Sabzevar