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Absma : This paper presents a detailed geochemical classification of groundwater of Sri Lanka. In view of the fact that nearly 85% of the population of Sri Lanka use well water and other non-piped water for their drinking water supply; information on the chemistry of the growdwater is essential. Depending on its chemistry, the groundwater of Sri Lanka has been classified into 4 main types, namely, Ca,Mg,Na/K and non-dominant cation types. Each of these major groups are subdivided into 2 or 4 subgroups. It was revealed that the chemistry of the groundwater is markedly dependent on the underlying geology as well as the climate. The dry zone in particular is abundant in the Na/K type of water whereas the wet zone had Ca and non-dominant cation types. It is also shown that the proposed classification has useful applications in delineating areas susceptible t o waterborne health hazards.

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Rainwater samples collected from different parts of Sri Lanka have been analyzed for their chemical constituents. It was observed that except for minor occurrences, "acid-rain" is still not prevalent in Sri Lanka. Based on the chemical composition, the rainwater of Sri Lanka has been classified chemically into eight different types, the most dominant being Ca/Mg-HCO 3 , Ca-Cl and non-dominant cation-HCO 3 types. The wet zone of Sri Lanka, particularly the areas around the central highlands, form a special zone in that a number of chemically different rainwater types can be found in these regions. In contrast, the dry zone of Sri Lanka receives four distinct types of rainwater and conform to geographical zones.