Assessment of groundwater quality in semi-urban and urban settings of Baddi tehsil of Solan district: A case study

Abstract

This study assessed the quality of groundwater for domestic purposes in the Baddi tehsil of Solan district in terms of spatial variations in the physico-chemical characteristics. The monitoring was done for the post-monsoon session 2011 and considering eleven water quality parameters. The mean pH, electrical conductivity, total alkalinity, total hardness, chloride, sulphate, potassium, sodium, bicarbonate, magnesium and calcium in the forty sampling locations were found in the range of 7.45-8.35, 0.484-0.99 mS/cm, 134.2-289.5 mg/l, 127-320 mg/l, 15.4-100 mg/l, 28.6-59.1 mg/l, 3.48-11.83 mg/l, 6.37-32.78 mg/l, 81.9-176.6 mg/l, 18.25-38.46 mg/l, 33.6-127.4 mg/l respectively. The obtained results are compared with BIS standard limits. The results revealed higher values of total hardness and bicarbonate at most of the groundwater sampling locations. The study of physico-chemical characteristics of these groundwater samples suggest that the evaluation of water quality parameters as well as water quality management practices should be carried out periodically to protect the water resources. Principal component analysis was used to identify the possible sources of contamination and to examine the spatial changes of groundwater quality of semi-urban and urban settings of Baddi tehsil.