Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater and quality assessment for the purposes of drinking and irrigation in Bougaa area, Northeastern Algeria

Abstract

In the northern part of Algeria, the intensive exploitation of groundwater resources and pollution has considerably affected the aquifer water quality, especially in rural areas where groundwater is the main source of water supply for most uses. This study was performed to evaluate the groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes through the hydrogeochemical study on the groundwater in Bougâa region (Northeastern Algeria). Fourteen groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for pH, T, EC, TDS, and major ions. Most samples are suitable for drinking based on the permissible limits of the Bureau of Indian standards (Indian standard specification for drinking water (IS 10500: 2012), but only 35 % of the samples are good enough for drinking purposes based on the water quality index of the groundwater. Assessment of groundwater samples from various parameters and methods such as “Electrical conductivity, Sodium adsorption ratio, Soluble sodium percentage, Magnesium adsorption ratio, Residual sodium carbonate, Permeability index, Kelly’s ratio, Wilcox’s diagram, and US salinity laboratory classification” showed that groundwater in the area is chemically suitable for irrigation uses. The Piper trilinear diagram suggests that the groundwater mainly belongs to the hydrochemical facies Ca–Mg–Cl and Na–Cl. The combination of ionic ratios, Gibbs plots, and saturation indices show that water–rock interaction, particularly the dissolution of carbonate, evaporation minerals, and ion exchange processes affects hydrogeochemistry of the area. Additional processes such as evaporation and anthropogenic pollution from various sources can also have major impacts on groundwater salinity.