Assessment of groundwater quality and their vulnerability to pollution using GQI and DRASTIC indices

Abstract

Surface and groundwater resources are two important sources in meeting agricultural, urban, and industrial needs. Random supply of surface water resources has prevented these resources from being a reliable source of water supply at all times. Therefore, groundwater acts as insurance in case of water shortage, and maintaining the quality of these resources is very important. On the other hand, studying vulnerability and identifying areas prone to aquifer pollution seems necessary for the development and optimal management of these valuable resources. Identifying the vulnerabilities of the aquifer areas to pollution will lead to a greater focus on preserving those areas. Therefore, groundwater quality assessment was performed in this study using the groundwater quality index (GQI), and groundwater vulnerability to pollution was assessed using the DRASTIC index. GQI is developed based on the values of six quality parameters (Na +, Mg 2+, Ca 2+, SO 42–, Cl–, and TDS). The DRASTIC index is developed based on the values of seven parameters (depth to the water table, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of vadose zone, hydraulic conductivity). The zoning of both indexes has been done using geographic information system (GIS) software. The results show that the GQI of the region was about 93, and its DRASTIC index was about 86. Therefore, the quality of aquifer groundwater is excellent, and its vulnerability to pollution is low.