Water quality assessment of the Triassic aquifer, SE Tunisia, for drinking water supply

Abstract

The Triassic aquifer is located in southereastern Tunisia, in the Medenine region, and being part of Jeffara's multilayer aquifer system. The aquifer is currently overexploited with an exploitation rate of 163%, which led to a generalized drop in the piezometric level in the order of 20 cm/year. This study applied conventional techniques such as hydrochemical compositions, multivariate statistical methods and Geographical Information Systems (GIS). To better identify the processes controlling the hydrogeochemical evolution of groundwater quality of Triassic aquifer and its suitability for drinking uses, 14 well water samples from the Triassic aquifer were analysed for physical character and chemical composition. In the groundwater, the respective order of cation and anion concentration was Na>Ca>Mg>K and SO4>Cl>HCO3. The chemical data of water samples from the study area presented by plotting on a Piper diagram reveals the predominance of two hydrochemical types: a Na-Ca-Mg-SO4 facies and a Na-Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4 facies. Analytical results demonstrate that the chemical composition of groundwater in Triassic aquifer is strongly influenced by residence time and flow path. Water quality deteriorates going from southwest to northeast across the region, coincident with the appearance a clay layer limiting the infiltration of rainwater. The majority of ions are above the maximum desirable limits recommended for drinking water by WHO guidelines and Tunisian Standards (NT.09.14). Based on the Water Quality Index (WQI), 36% of water samples of the Triassic aquifer are classified as "poor water" and they cannot be used for drinking purposes without prior treatment.