Groundwater Investigation Using Electrical Resistivity Method at New Borg El-Arab City, Alexandria, Egypt

Abstract

New Borg El-Arab is a city located on the northwestern coast of Egypt, where the increasing anthropogenic activities have led to an increase in water demand. Groundwater is the main source of water in this area, but it is seriously affected by the Mediterranean saltwater intrusion. This causes a substantial impact on the water quality of the coastal aquifer. In this study, the electrical resistivity method was applied to delineate the shallow groundwater aquifer and its quality. Twenty vertical electrical soundings (VES) distributed along 6 profiles were measured. To observe the seasonal groundwater variations, 14 VES points were measured at the end of the rainy season, while the measurements of 6 VES points were repeated at the end of the dry season. The results revealed 4 geoelectrical layers; the first layer is a surface dry zone with variable resistivity values, followed by a water-bearing layer; while the third is a limestone layer, followed by a clay deposits zone. In comparison to the winter season, the water-bearing layer records lower resistivity values at the end of summer. Optimal locations to drill new groundwater wells have also been determined with a depth varying from 1.8 m north to about 30 m south.