Study of Groundwater Quality in El-Kharga Oasis,Western Desert,Egypt

Abstract

In El-Kharga Oasis, Egypt, the groundwater is considered the sole source for water and it is used for different purposes. The present paper tries to assess groundwater suitability for different uses in El-Kharga oasis. The goal is to evaluate the suitability of the selected groundwater wells for irrigation and drinking, define the water types and investigate possible long and short term impact on groundwater quality. Fifteen water samples were collected from different wells. Parameters such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), temperature and other physical properties were recorded in the field. Major anions and cations were analysed in the laboratory. Chemical results suggest that the water type in the area varies predominantly from Na-HCO $_3$ , to Na-Cl (Piper diagram). According to the EC and SAR calculation (Wilcox diagram) the most dominant classes (C2-S1 and C3-S1) were found. Salinity hazard in 60% of water samples is regarded as medium while in 40% of water samples is classified as high. In respect of all evaluating criteria, groundwater of all the 15 wells can be safely used for irrigation and drinking purposes.