Mapping Aquifer Water Quality in the Western Fringes of Beni-Suef Governorate for Sustainable Agriculture

Abstract

Aquifer water is the key staple to develop successful sustainable agricultural activity in newly reclaimed areas in Egypt. Monitoring irrigation water quality is necessary for a proper planning of this exhaustible resources. This work aims to evaluate the groundwater quality in the western newly reclaimed areas of Beni-Suef governorate. Fifty aquifer water sample were collected from wells scattered in the arid western Beni-Suef fringes during May of 2022. Water chemical analyses were conducted to estimate the parameters of Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) namely the Electrical Conductivity (EC), Sodium (Na+), Chloride (Cl-), Bicarbonate (HCO3-) and the Adjusted percentage of Absorbed Sodium (SARo). The Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) technique used to map the spatial distribution of aquifer water chemical characteristics and IWQI. The results showed that EC values were high in the south of the study area and decreased at its north and east borders. The results showed that the average of dissolved cations and anions were 236.4, 102, 77.5, 106.2, 309.6, 148.1 and 113 meq/l for Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, SO42-, HCO3-, and Cl-, respectively. Regarding to IWQI, its' values ranged from 28 to 81. Two-thirds of the study area classified as having moderate limitations for sustainable irrigation purposes. Furthermore, one-thirds of the area classified as having high restrictions.