Study of the Phenomenon of Groundwater Levels Rise in South El Qantara Shark Area, Ismailia, Egypt

Abstract

Study of the Phenomenon of Groundwater Levels Rise in South El Qantara Shark Area, Ismailia, Egypt The study focused on understanding and describing the mechanism by which waste water enters the groundwater. The main environments of concern are architectural, social and human health. Fifteen peizometers were installed to investigate the rising in groundwater level in the area of concern. Detailed topographical and brief hydrogeological analyses were carried out. The strata supplying groundwater in the area are the Quaternary strata (Holocene and Pleistocene). The Holocene shallow sandy aquifer dominates the study area, where all drilled peizometers tap this aquifer. The daily leakage from excessive irrigation water may represent the main contributor of groundwater level increase in the shallow aquifer. Moreover, leakage from the south El Qantara canal and the municipal water supply system further contribute to the increase of groundwater level. The water table is found in the south at a depth of 9 m below ground surface (bgs) and sometimes the groundwater surfaces particularly in the north and northeastern parts of the area. The groundwater quality varies from fresh water to brackish water where the total dissolved solids range from 1019 mg/L to 32000 mg/L. A dewatering system in the study area may be suggested as a solution to overcome the problem of rising groundwater levels. The results from the groundwater flow model simulation using MODFLOW demonstrate that large areas in the northern part of the study area become wet at ground surface if there exist conditions such as the presence of clay unit at a shallow depth, an intensive cultivation, and surface water leakage to recharge the aquifer. The modeling results also demonstrate that a horizontal drainage network may be proposed to control and mitigate the rising water table conditions in the area.