Hydrochemical Classification of Groundwater in Safwan - Al-Zubair Area, South of Iraq

Abstract

The groundwater quality is almost equal to its quantity. Determination of its chemical, physical, and bacterial characteristics is very important for municipal, Commercial, industrial, and domestic water supplies. Twenty five different groundwater samples were taken from twenty five wells distributed over Safwan- Zubair area in order to identify their hydrochemical properties, including its contamination by their major ions. Their TDS values range between 3810 to 9225 ppm, while their EC values lies between 4.77 and 8.95 mmhos/cm. There is a direct relationship between EC and TDS, square coefficient of correlation is 0. 9636. Plotting the values of ionic concentration on Sulin's graph appeared that the considered water source can be divided in to two types, the first one is of marine origin, and the second is meteoric water. Marine origin of groundwater indicates that the groundwater of Dibdibba Formation which was gathered through sedimentation under marine environment during Miocene age or this marine water came from a deep source, due to the existence of different pressures which caused a vertical flow of this saline water. Scholler- Sulins method is used to classify this groundwater, sulphate and chloride ions are the dominant anions. The group of sulphate contains two major families which are sulphate-sodium and sulphate-calcium, while chloride group contains also two familiesincluding both chloride- sodium and chloride- calcium.