Mapping of groundwater opportunities for multi-purposes use in Beni-Suef province, Egypt

Abstract

Beni-Suef desert represents one of the interesting areas for land reclamation and future urban areas. This work aimed to assess the groundwater potentiality and suitability for different purposes by using the electrical resistivity and hydrochemistry studies. In the area of investigation, 32 vertical electrical soundings (VES) were implemented in order to determine the groundwater potentiality, as well as 42 samples of water were collected and analyzed. The suitability of gathered samples of water for irrigation was evaluated throughout: salinity index, sodium hazard (Na %), ratio of sodium adsorption (SAR), chloride hazards, soluble sodium percentage (SSP), magnesium ratio (MH), and other indicators. Results were represented in “Opportunity Map” by GIS layers, to denote major element distribution. Analysis indicated a presence of two potentiality zones in the study area that refer to Quaternary and Eocene aquifer. Results indicated that the east and north parts of the area of investigation have low groundwater potentiality for irrigation and domestic uses, whereas southern region has medium groundwater potentiality. On the other hand, all the gathered samples of groundwater are inappropriate for domestic use. Most of the studied groundwater samples can be used for irrigation according to SAR and US salinity chart, residual sodium carbonate (RSC), Kelly’s ratio (KR), and permeability index. The prepared opportunity map reflects the evaluation of water potentiality in the study area.