Investigating the influence of solar distillation on improving the groundwater quality index in the southern region of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Uncontaminated and secure groundwater is an essential need for the everlasting advancement of society and humanity. In order to guarantee the availability of clean groundwater, it is crucial to precisely analyze the quality parameters of groundwater to evaluate its quality. The Riyadh is the capital of Saudi Arabia, situated close to the precise geographical centre of the nation and seems to be the heart of the country. Global warming, rising temperatures, and less precipitation have combined to result in a decline in both the quality and quantity of groundwater in this region. This research involved two major components. The primary component is the examination of groundwater quality in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia in terms of the Groundwater Quality Index (GQI). The next component involves an attempt to improve the GQI of the water through the solar distillation method. The quality of groundwater has been assessed by determining parameters, namely, hydrogen potential, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, ions of calcium, magnesium, chlorides, nitrates, bicarbonates, and sulphates. The groundwater samples have been taken from ten arbitrary sites in the southern part of Riyadh. The GQI results indicated that seven samples were VERY POOR, and the other three samples were UNFIT, as per the GQI scale. Further, the method of solar distillation has been demonstrated to be an effective mechanism for improving the GQI of the groundwater in the studied locations. The GQI after processing the water samples using SDU has shown greater improvement, and the quality of the samples has been enhanced from VERY POOR and UNFIT levels to EXCELLENT level. The SDU helped to produce 2887 ml/day of fresh water.