Urban Groundwater Research Articles

Simulation of vertical water flow through vadose zone

Simulation of vertical water flow representing the release of water from the vadose zone to the aquifer of surroundings within Nigerian Defence Academy (34km 2 ) for a sustainable ground water resources management was carried out using Advanced Simulation and Modelling of Urban Ground Water Management (UGROW model).Rainfall data, soil moisture and runoff coefficient are specified as input data into the model. Basic component of the vertical water balance (precipitation, leakages, evaporation and runoff)was observed. From the results, 4.0cm/day of average leakage observed for the period 1991-2001 was the maximum leakage for the simulation. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/njt.v36i4.42

Impact of urbanization on groundwater recharge and urban water balance for the city of Hyderabad, India

Groundwater recharge processes in an urban area are different than in non-urban areas. There are various new components that must be considered in the case of urban groundwater recharge in addition to the natural recharge from precipitation. These various components are estimated in this study based on the water balance equation for the Hyderabad city of India. Initially, urban recharge components including leakages from water supply network and sewage networks were calculated. To estimate the natural recharge from precipitation, actual evapotranspiration and surface runoff were estimated using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Results indicated that the urban recharge component of groundwater was more than ten times greater than the natural recharge. The net urban recharge component of groundwater was estimated to be approximately 568mm yr-1 and the natural recharge component was observed to be 53mm yr-1. Water inflow and outflow components were also estimated to provide the complete scenario of the total urban water balance of Hyderabad. This analysis has provided the information regarding the extent and intensity of percolation of urban contaminants into the aquifer.

Impacts of urban areas and urban growth on groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin of North America

The Great Lakes Basin (GLB) holds vast reserves of groundwater, the great majority of which eventually drains to the lakes. Urban growth significantly affects both the quality and quantity of this groundwater and thereby represents a potential threat to the long-term viability of the Great Lakes hydrologic system. Urban areas import, manufacture, store, transport, and utilise large volumes of chemicals, a proportion of which inevitably finds its way to the shallow sub-surface. In many cases, potentially polluting chemicals are applied directly to urban surfaces (e.g. as road salts, fertilizers and pesticides), are stored in the subsurface (e.g. gasoline tanks) or are released to the subsurface (e.g. septic systems). Because most of the basin's larger urban areas rely almost exclusively on lake-based supplies, very little attention is given to the accumulation of contaminants in shallow urban groundwaters and the serious risks they pose. Assessment of the problem is complicated by the widespread use of urban fill and a complex network of drains, pipes and tunnels that create “urban karst”, a shallow artificial aquifer, unique to urban settings, that exerts a major, yet often unpredictable influence on groundwater flow and contaminant transport. Management of ground water pollution, and its impact on the receiving Great Lakes, will require rigorous audits of all urban sources of contamination together with the development and calibration of groundwater flow and transport models that will enable the fate of urban pollutants to be reliably predicted even when groundwater is not used for supply.

Analysis on the Effect of Groundwater Overexploitation Control in Water receiving region of the First Phase of the South-North Water Transfer Project

The South-North Water Transfer Project is playing a more and more important role in ensuring economic and social development and maintaining a good ecological environment for north of China. However, long-term over-exploitation of groundwater has caused a series of ecological and environmental problems. The first phase of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project was successfully passed through in 2013 and 2014. The water supplied by this huge project provided critical water source for implementing groundwater overexploitation control. In order to promote the management and protection of groundwater resources, the overdraft areas had adopted comprehensive measures to reduce groundwater extraction, such as accelerating the construction of supporting projects, shutting down groundwater mining wells, improving the groundwater monitoring station network, and reforming the water resources fees and so on. The urban groundwater overexploitation control work has received good progress. Based on the investigation and statistics of groundwater overexploitation control in the water receiving region of the first phase of the South-North Water Transfer Project, it was found that since the first phase of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project passing though, the water groundwater withdrawal decreased by 15.23×108 m3 by making full use of the water from the South-North Water Transfer Project, including 2.36×108 m3 in Beijing, 0.67×108 m3 in Tianjin, 6.39×108 m3 in Hebei, 3.84×108 m3 in Henan, 1.62×108 m3 in Shandong, and 0.35×108 m3 in Jiangsu, respectively. The number of groundwater withdrawal wells closed was 15202, including 331 wells in Beijing, 582 in Tianjin, 4895 in Hebei, 6213 in Henan, 2012 in Shandong, and 1169 eyes in Jiangsu, respectively. In terms of groundwater level, the trend of continuous decline in groundwater level has been effectively curbed in most areas of the water receiving region, however, in some areas the groundwater level is still declining due to the too large cumulative over-exploitation of groundwater. Shijiazhuang City was selected as typical monitoring site to explain the groundwater overexploitation control effect on groundwater level. The analysis of the monitoring data of typical monitoring sites showed that groundwater overexploitation control has a great influence on the groundwater level change in Shijiazhuang urban area. This study also puts forward some problems and suggestions in promoting the groundwater overexploitation control in the water receiving region, and provides reference for the construction of ecological civilization and national water security.

Correction to Modeling and Optimization of Recycled Water Systems to Augment Urban Groundwater Recharge through Underutilized Stormwater Spreading Basins.

Infrastructure systems that use stormwater and recycled water to augment groundwater recharge through spreading basins represent cost-effective opportunities to diversify urban water supplies. However, technical questions remain about how these types of managed aquifer recharge systems should be designed; furthermore, existing planning tools are insufficient for performing robust design comparisons. Addressing this need, we present a model for identifying the best-case design and operation schedule for systems that deliver recycled water to underutilized stormwater spreading basins. Resulting systems are optimal with respect to life cycle costs and water deliveries. Through a case study of Los Angeles, California, we illustrate how delivering recycled water to spreading basins could be optimally implemented. Results illustrate trade-offs between centralized and decentralized configurations. For example, while a centralized Hyperion system could deliver more recycled water to the Hansen Spreading Grounds, ...

Hydrochemical characteristics and the impact of anthropogenic activity on groundwater quality in suburban area of Urmia city, Iran

The aim of this research was to determine the main hydrochemical processes, quality change and groundwater pollution resulted from various human activities in the suburban area of Urmia city, located in the northwest of Iran. For this purposes, 62 groundwater samples were collected from urban, suburban and rural areas in September 2015. Furthermore, for determining the effect of anthropogenic activities on urban and suburban groundwater quality, a comparison was made between rural, suburban and urban groundwater. The results indicate that the main type of groundwater is Ca–HCO3, and the important processes controlling groundwater chemistry are mineral weathering, ion exchange and anthropogenic activity. The effect of anthropogenic activity such as increase in urbanization and change in land use caused the increase in the concentration of Ca, HCO3, Cl, Na, Mg, NO3 and pollution of groundwater in the suburban area. In suburban zone and especially in areas with low-depth groundwater, runoff infiltration, domestic effluent sewages and application of fertilizers caused an increase in nitrate in groundwater. In urban areas with impermeable surfaces, due to less infiltration, the amount of nitrate in groundwater is low, and groundwater is not contaminated. The results obtained from groundwater sustainability indicators (index of damages, index of pollution and groundwater quality index) show that the suburban area has low-hazard pollutant problem. Also, quality of 41% groundwater samples in the suburban zone and 13% in the rural zone is poor. In this paper, to determine the water quality for irrigation uses, sodium percent (Na%), sodium absorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate and permeability index were all calculated. The calculation of the irrigation water quality indices indicated that the quality of water for irrigation purposes can be classified as excellent to permissible categories.

Impact of urbanization on groundwater recharge rates in Dübendorf, Switzerland

Groundwater, as the world’s most important reserve of available fresh water, is known to be affected by urbanization. Managing this resource in a sustainable way is critical for water resource management. Groundwater recharge rates in urban areas remain however still poorly understood and under-researched and knowledge about these rates and their expected changes under increasing urbanization is therefore of primary importance. This study aims to give insight into urban groundwater recharge by performing water budget calculations for four different time periods for an urban study site in northern Switzerland. In order to take into account uncertainty in parameter values a Monte Carlo (MC) approach was carried out.Our study highlights a strong positive correlation between groundwater recharge rates and the extent of the urban area. In detail, at the study site urban areas expanded from 6% in 1880 to 44% in 2009, leading to an increase in the mean groundwater recharge rate. However, the increase amount in recharge remains uncertain and varies between 29% and 67% depending on the parameter combination originating from the MC approach. Based on our water budget calculations, the transformation of natural landscapes into impervious areas leads to an increase in groundwater recharge rates due to the reduction of evapotranspiration that more than compensates for the increase in runoff. Furthermore, water main leakages contribute to an increase in recharge rates. Overall, we demonstrate that a better understanding of groundwater recharge changes in urban areas is required to move towards a sustainable water management. We hope that this example will encourage the hydrogeological community to pay more attention to urban groundwater recharge.

Modeling and Optimization of Recycled Water Systems to Augment Urban Groundwater Recharge through Underutilized Stormwater Spreading Basins.

Infrastructure systems that use stormwater and recycled water to augment groundwater recharge through spreading basins represent cost-effective opportunities to diversify urban water supplies. However, technical questions remain about how these types of managed aquifer recharge systems should be designed; furthermore, existing planning tools are insufficient for performing robust design comparisons. Addressing this need, we present a model for identifying the best-case design and operation schedule for systems that deliver recycled water to underutilized stormwater spreading basins. Resulting systems are optimal with respect to life cycle costs and water deliveries. Through a case study of Los Angeles, California, we illustrate how delivering recycled water to spreading basins could be optimally implemented. Results illustrate trade-offs between centralized and decentralized configurations. For example, while a centralized Hyperion system could deliver more recycled water to the Hansen Spreading Grounds, this system incurs approximately twice the conveyance cost of a decentralized Tillman system (mean of 44% vs 22% of unit life cycle costs). Compared to existing methods, our model allows for more comprehensive and precise analyses of cost, water volume, and energy trade-offs among different design scenarios. This model can inform decisions about spreading basin operation policies and the development of new water supplies.

Accounting for groundwater in future city visions

City planners, urban innovators and researchers are increasingly working on ‘future city’ initiatives to investigate the physical, social and political aspects of harmonized urban living. Despite this, sustainability principles and the importance of urban groundwater are lacking in future city visions. Using London as a case study, the importance of groundwater for cities is highlighted and a range of future city interventions may impact on groundwater are reviewed. Using data from water resource plans and city planning strategies, changes in the groundwater balance which may occur as a result of city interventions are calculated for two future city scenarios: a ‘strategic’ future informed by organisational policy and an ‘aspirational’ future guided by sustainability principles. For London, under a strategic future, preferential investment in industry-scale technologies such as wastewater treatment and groundwater storage would occur. Acknowledgement that behaviour change offers the potential for a faster rate of transformation than innovation technologies is ignored. The capacity of community-led action and smart-home technologies to deliver sustainable water use under an aspirational future is evident, with a measurable impact on urban groundwater. These methods may be used to inform city interventions that consider the social context in addition to environmental constraints and business drivers.

Underground structures increasing the intrinsic vulnerability of urban groundwater: Sensitivity analysis and development of an empirical law based on a groundwater age modelling approach

In a previous paper published in Journal of Hydrology, it was shown that underground structures are responsible for a mixing process between shallow and deep groundwater that can favour the spreading of urban contamination. In this paper, the impact of underground structures on the intrinsic vulnerability of urban aquifers was investigated. A sensitivity analysis was performed using a 2D deterministic modelling approach based on the reservoir theory generalized to hydrodispersive systems to better understand this mixing phenomenon and the mixing affected zone (MAZ) caused by underground structures. It was shown that the maximal extent of the MAZ caused by an underground structure is reached approximately 20years after construction. Consequently, underground structures represent a long-term threat for deep aquifer reservoirs. Regarding the construction process, draining operations have a major impact and favour large-scale mixing between shallow and deep groundwater. Consequently, dewatering should be reduced and enclosed as much as possible. The role played by underground structures’ dimensions was assessed. The obstruction of the first aquifer layer caused by construction has the greatest influence on the MAZ. The cumulative impact of several underground structures was assessed. It was shown that the total MAZ area increases linearly with underground structures’ density. The role played by materials’ properties and hydraulic gradient were assessed. Hydraulic conductivity, anisotropy and porosity have the strongest influence on the development of MAZ. Finally, an empirical law was derived to estimate the MAZ caused by an underground structure in a bi-layered aquifer under unconfined conditions. This empirical law, based on the results of the sensitivity analysis developed in this paper, allows for the estimation of MAZ dimensions under known material properties and underground structure dimensions. This empirical law can help urban planners assess the area of influence of underground structures and protect urban strategic reservoirs.

Fuzzy vulnerability mapping of urban groundwater systems to nitrate contamination

The aim of this study is to develop a new fuzzy optimization model to find the optimal factor weights of modified DRASTIC index for groundwater vulnerability mapping an urban aquifer to nitrate contamination. Eight factors including water table depth, recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of vadose zone, hydraulic conductivity, and land use are considered and rated. A fuzzy linear regression is formulated between the values of eight factors and corresponding nitrate concentration in groundwater. An optimization model based on real code genetic algorithm with objective of minimizing the sum of the fuzzy spread of the regression coefficients is implemented. Aquifer of Mashhad metropolis (northeast of Iran) is chosen to evaluate the proposed model. The results show the proposed model is a promising tool for weighting the factors with avoiding the subjectivity and also ambiguities accompanied by parameters to produce an accurate specific vulnerability mapping of an urban aquifer.

Improving understanding of shallow urban groundwater: the Quaternary groundwater system in Glasgow, UK

ABSTRACTAlthough many European cities use urban aquifers for water supply, groundwater from shallow urban aquifers is not widely exploited. Nevertheless, shallow urban groundwater is a key environmental resource – for example, in maintaining healthy urban river flows and attenuating some pollutants – and it can also be a threat, such as through groundwater flooding. However, shallow urban groundwater is frequently overlooked or ineffectively managed, in large part because it is often poorly understood. This paper demonstrates the need to improve understanding of the shallow groundwater system in a city where shallow groundwater is not widely abstracted and, consequently, relatively little groundwater data exist. Like many UK cities, Glasgow is underlain by complex unconsolidated Quaternary deposits, which form a heterogeneous shallow aquifer system that has been extensively impacted by urban activities, typical of a former industrial city. Balancing the potential benefits and risks of shallow groundwater in Glasgow requires a better understanding of Quaternary hydrogeology in order to support the transition to a more sustainable city. This paper presents an improved conceptual model of Glasgow's shallow groundwater system within a sequence of Quaternary deposits in the Clyde valley, drawing heavily on data collected during major site investigations for land development in the city. Postglacial Quaternary sediments in Glasgow form an elongate, variably thick (up to 30m) and variably permeable aquifer system. Aquifer units with high permeability and high storage capacity are partially separated by lower permeability, but still hydrogeologically active, units. Groundwater in the system is hydraulically connected with the River Clyde. Groundwater flow occurs both longitudinally down-valley and convergent from the edge of the valley aquifer towards the river. There has been extensive anthropogenic alteration to the urban surface and shallow subsurface, which has modified the natural physical and chemical groundwater system. Pollution associated with historical industry has also extensively impacted the quality of Quaternary groundwater.

Mapping shallow urban groundwater temperatures, a case study from Cardiff, UK

Low-enthalpy ground source heating systems can help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, in turn reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy security. To de-risk and support the sustainable development, regulation and management of ground source heating systems in urban areas, detailed baseline mapping of groundwater temperatures is required. Groundwater temperatures were measured in 168 monitoring boreholes primarily within a Quaternary sand and gravel aquifer in the city of Cardiff, UK. The data have been used to create the first city-wide map of shallow groundwater temperatures in the UK. This map can be used both to support development of ground source heating and to act as a detailed baseline from which to measure change. Shallow groundwater temperatures under the city were found to be 2°C warmer than the UK average groundwater temperature and this additional heat is attributed to the urban heat island. The zone of seasonal fluctuation varies from 7.1 and 15.5 m below ground level (mbgl) within the shallow Quaternary aquifer, averaging 9.5 mbgl. Deeper groundwater temperature profiles incorporating both the Quaternary and bedrock aquifers suggest that a ‘zone of anthropogenic influence’ exists down to about 70 mbgl.

Integrated evaluation of urban groundwater hydrogeochemistry in context of fractal behaviour of groundwater level fluctuations

ABSTRACTThe present study was carried out as part of a complex survey of urban groundwater quality and quantity in Szeged, southeast Hungary. The concentrations of 12 inorganic contaminants in 28 shallow groundwater monitoring wells were determined over a 2-year period (2010–2012). The evaluation of concentrations indicates remarkable contamination all over the city. Discriminant analysis (DA) was used to evaluate the spatial changes of groundwater quality. The groundwater levels were measured over a 14-year period (2000–2013). The fractal properties of water level fluctuations time series characterizing the groundwater system and Tisza River were investigated using rescaled range (R/S) analysis. The resulting Hurst exponents clearly showed the persistency and thus long memory effects of both the groundwater and the river flow. Comparison of the results of DA with the results of R/S analysis thus implies that the geological conditions and the changing groundwater quantities are not related to groundwater quality.EDITOR A. CastellarinASSOCIATE EDITOR A. Fiori

The peri-urban to urban groundwater transfer and its societal implications in Chennai, south India – A case study

The aquifer of the peri-urban/rural areas of Chennai Metropolitan Area in Tamil Nadu acts as a source of informal water market, and a huge amount of water is transferred and marketed by entrepreneurs, such as private water suppliers and packaged water industries. Water transfer from agricultural to non agricultural uses is not only common in India but most of the water starved developing countries experience it. It leads to temporal and spatial changes in the groundwater quantity and quality, and generates the inequity and affordability issues in accessing the water especially to the peri-urban poor. The paper analyzed the above issue with a case study conducted at Perumbakkam, a Chennai peri-urban village. The multivariate statistical analysis of field findings has been conducted in the peri-urban village for understanding the socio-economic implications of the groundwater market. The study identifies the major findings due to the prevailing informal groundwater market and emphasizes the institutional mechanism through regulatory and legal measures to protect the resource base and conservation and restoration mechanism to replenish the depleting resources.

The thermal impact of subsurface building structures on urban groundwater resources – A paradigmatic example

Shallow subsurface thermal regimes in urban areas are increasingly impacted by anthropogenic activities, which include infrastructure development like underground traffic lines as well as industrial and residential subsurface buildings. In combination with the progressive use of shallow geothermal energy systems, this results in the so-called subsurface urban heat island effect.This article emphasizes the importance of considering the thermal impact of subsurface structures, which commonly is underestimated due to missing information and of reliable subsurface temperature data. Based on synthetic heat-transport models different settings of the urban environment were investigated, including: (1) hydraulic gradients and conductivities, which result in different groundwater flow velocities; (2) aquifer properties like groundwater thickness to aquitard and depth to water table; and (3) constructional features, such as building depths and thermal properties of building structures.Our results demonstrate that with rising groundwater flow velocities, the heat-load from building structures increase, whereas down-gradient groundwater temperatures decrease. Thermal impacts on subsurface resources therefore have to be related to the permeability of aquifers and hydraulic boundary conditions. In regard to the urban settings of Basel, Switzerland, flow velocities of around 1 md−1 delineate a marker where either down-gradient temperature deviations or heat-loads into the subsurface are more relevant. Furthermore, no direct thermal influence on groundwater resources should be expected for aquifers with groundwater thicknesses larger 10m and when the distance of the building structure to the groundwater table is higher than around 10m.We demonstrate that measuring temperature changes down-gradient of subsurface structures is insufficient overall to assess thermal impacts, particularly in urban areas. Moreover, in areas which are densely urbanized, and where groundwater flow velocities are low, appropriate measures for assessing thermal impacts should specifically include a quantification of heat-loads into the subsurface which result in a more diffuse thermal contamination of urban groundwater resources.

Experimental Study of Tidal Effects on Coastal Groundwater and Pollutant Migration

The problem of current urban groundwater pollution is very serious, which has influenced social development and people’s daily life. Around the land-sea interface, tide obviously changes nearshore the groundwater flow regime and makes the pollutant migration process become more complex. In the present study, the effect of tide-induced groundwater table fluctuations and on the pollutants migration in beach aquifers is investigated by constructing a two-dimensional sand trough physical experimental model. The model considered brackish-water density differences and the tide by controlling experimental medium properties and boundary conditions. The results showed that the groundwater table fluctuation cycle is the same as the tidal cycle and the fluctuation lag time increases linearly with the increase of the offshore distance. Tidal fluctuation flattens brackish-freshwater interface, widens the dispersion zone, and generates the upper saline and the freshwater belt. Time lag corresponding relationships between saline water and tidal fluctuation was observed. With the pollutant approaching the saline water area, the profile of the pollutant migration is gradually developed into a spindle shape until the strip shape, and the pollutant enters the saline water body along the curved edge of the upper part of the saline water. The transverse dispersion of pollutants is larger than the longitudinal dispersion in a tidal cycle and its outline presents a strip shape development. No mixing or exchange between the pollutants and the saline water body happened during the whole process. This study can provide scientific references for nearshore groundwater pollution prevention and control in the future.

Urban underground development confronted by the challenges of groundwater resources: Guidelines dedicated to the construction of underground structures in urban aquifers

Urban subsoil provides space, groundwater, geothermal energy and geomaterials, and the importance underlying the management of this strategic space is well-known. In the context of vertical urban growth, groundwater management is a crucial issue. In particular, operational tools dedicated to urban planners are needed in urban areas prone to conflicts over use in order to aid the decision-making process. The aim of this paper is to propose guidelines dedicated to urban underground development in view to incorporating groundwater resource management. These guidelines are supported by analyses of the scientific literature dealing with: (1) the impacts caused by underground structures on urban groundwater, and (2) the quantitative overview of urban groundwater resources at the operational level in terms of quantity, quality and temperature. Finally, perspectives are discussed regarding the research work needed to ensure better management of urban groundwater resources confronted by underground development.

Development of concepts for the management of thermal resources in urban areas – Assessment of transferability from the Basel (Switzerland) and Zaragoza (Spain) case studies

The shallow subsurface in urban areas is increasingly used by shallow geothermal energy systems as a renewable energy resource and as a cheap cooling medium, e.g. for building air conditioning. In combination with further anthropogenic activities, this results in altered thermal regimes in the subsurface and the so-called subsurface urban heat island effect.Successful thermal management of urban groundwater resources requires understanding the relative contributions of the different thermal parameters and boundary conditions that result in the “present thermal state” of individual urban groundwater bodies. To evaluate the “present thermal state” of urban groundwater bodies, good quality data are required to characterize the hydraulic and thermal aquifer parameters. This process also involved adequate monitoring systems which provide consistent subsurface temperature measurements and are the basis for parameterizing numerical heat-transport models.This study is based on previous work already published for two urban groundwater bodies in Basel (CH) and Zaragoza (ES), where comprehensive monitoring networks (hydraulics and temperature) as well as calibrated high-resolution numerical flow- and heat-transport models have been analyzed.The “present thermal state” and how it developed according to the different hydraulic and thermal boundary conditions is compared to a “potential natural state” in order to assess the anthropogenic thermal changes that have already occurred in the urban groundwater bodies we investigated. This comparison allows us to describe the various processes concerning groundwater flow and thermal regimes for the different urban settings. Furthermore, the results facilitate defining goals for specific aquifer regions, including future aquifer use and urbanization, as well as evaluating the thermal use potential for these regions. As one example for a more sustainable thermal use of subsurface water resources, we introduce the thermal management concept of the “relaxation factor”, which is a first approach to overcome the present policy of “first come, first served”. Remediation measures to regenerate overheated urban aquifers are also introduced.The transferability of the applied methods to other urban areas is discussed. It is shown that an appropriate selection of locations for monitoring hydraulic and thermal boundary conditions make it possible to implement representative interpretations of groundwater flow and thermal regimes as well as to set up high-resolution numerical flow- and heat-transport models. Those models are the basis for the sustainable management of thermal resources.

Hydrochemical characteristics and quality assessment of urban groundwater in Urmia City, NW Iran

The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality and hydrochemical characteristics of urban groundwater in Urmia City, northwest of Iran. In order, 59 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for various anions and cations. Result shows that, mineral weathering, ion exchange and anthropogenic activity are the main hydrochemical processes controlling urban groundwater chemistry. The evaluation of groundwater geochemistry in the flow path beneath the urban area shows that, due to land use changes, the hydrochemical change occurs predominantly in electrical conductivity (EC), Cl− and NO3–. The EC is increased in the direction of groundwater flow and in the last decade in industrial areas. According to the groundwater quality index values, most of the samples fit into the good quality class and samples with poor quality are located in the old residential, parks and agricultural areas of the city. The calculation of the irrigation water quality indices (Na%, sodium adsorption ratio, permeability index, residual sodium carbonate), and industrial water quality indices (Ryznar stability index, Langelier saturation index, Larson–Skold, Puckorius scaling index) indicated that the quality of water for irrigation purposes could be classified in the excellent to permissible categories. However, as for the industrial uses, the results also revealed that most of the samples could be classified in the aggressive and very aggressive categories.