Qualitative analysis of Orzooiyeh plain groundwater resources using GIS techniques

Background: Unsustainable development of human societies, especially in arid and semi-arid areas, is one of the most important environmental hazards that require preservation of groundwater resources, and permanent study of qualitative and quantitative changes through sampling. Accordingly, this research attempts to assess and analyze the spatial variation of quantitative and qualitative indicators of Orzooiyeh groundwater resources in the Kerman province by using the geographic information system (GIS). Methods: This study attempts to survey the spatial analysis of these indexes using GIS techniques besides the evaluation of the groundwater resources quality in the study area. For this purpose, data quality indicators and statistics such as electrical conductivity, pH, sulphate, residual total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium, calcium; magnesium and chlorine of 28 selected wells sampled by the Kerman regional water organization were used. Results: A comparison of the present research results with standard of Industrial Research of Iran and also the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that, among the measured indices, the electrical conductivity and TDS in the chosen samples are higher than the national standard of Iran and of the WHO but other indices are more favourable. Conclusion: Results showed that the electrical conductivity index of 64.3% of the samples have an optimal level, 71.4% have the limit of Iran national standard and only 3.6% of them have the WHO standard. The TDS index, too, did not reach national standards in any of the samples and in 82.1% of the samples this index was on the national standard limit. As per this index, only 32.1% of the samples were in the WHO standards.