Evaluation of Spatial Variability in Ground Water Quality using Remote Sensing

Abstract

Water quality along Coastal Zones of Srikakulam District in Andhra Pradesh, India was analyzed through seasons of pre and post of monsoon for determining water appropriateness towards consumption by means of water quality index (WQI). Present study included collection of sub-surface water samples from sampling sites which are designated as Mandal headquarters across the coastal line. Towards developing WQI, physicochemical analysis of samples was determined considering nine important parameters that included physical parameters like total dissolved solids, chemical parameters like pH, conductivity, ionic parameters such as calcium and magnesium, sodium and potassium, chloride and sulphate. The sampling sites are mapped using geographical information systems. GPS (Global positioning system) was employed to locate the coordinates in terms of latitude and longitude. Cation-anion correlation matrixes are plotted using piper plots from values of results obtained through physico-chemical analysis. Experimental results were subjected to statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA. The WQI index in the present study was obtained in the range of 57.6 to 989.1, indicating very poor-quality water in these sampling areas. Results illustrated that groundwater of the study area required treatment before used for consumption.