Assessment of underground water quality and water quality index across the Noyyal River basin of Tirupur District in South India

Abstract

The quality of underground water is essential for ensuring the long-term, secure use of this resource for any activity, especially drinking, irrigation, and so on. However, the country's rapid urbanization and industrialization have frequently resulted in groundwater contamination as a result of the discharge of unprocessed industrial effluents and municipal wastewater into the river. Tirupur is an important city in south India, known for its textile industries and diverse culture. It is rich in textile processing mills and located on the bank of the Noyyal River. The underground water quality across the Noyyal basin was assessed in this study by taking underground water samples from fifteen arbitrary locations in Tirupur along the Noyyal River's downstream. Several indicators of water quality have been taken into account in this analysis, including hydrogen potential (pH), total dissolved solids, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity, chlorides, nitrates, bicarbonates, and sulfates. The underground water quality index (UWQI) has also been computed based on the test results. The outcomes indicate that underground water quality has been significantly affected due to the contaminated Noyyal River. To conserve the quality of the underground water, an appropriate action plan needs to be executed.