Preliminary Investigation of Groundwater Resources in the Wetland Area, Dumai

Abstract

The wetland area in Sumatra island is commonly covered by peatland with the varies depth. Most common problem faced in these areas is the groundwater resources of the shallow aquifer which are not safe for human consumption. In the other hand the wetland area near the coast are intruded by the seawater. This study is actually a preliminary investigation of the groundwater resources in the surrounded wetland area of Dumai city, Indonesia. In this preliminary study, the groundwater samples were collected and measured their in-situ physical characteristics. Furthermore, the groundwater in the shallow aquifer is contaminated by varies amount of seawater content that are indicated by the higher value of TDS. However, the sea level intrusion in the shallow aquifer is not directly correlated with the distance from the beach line. Generally, the groundwater is not safe for human consumption at the distance of 3-5 km from the beach line.