Assessment and Prediction of Groundwater Quality using Hydrochemical, Flow and Transport Modeling in the Kolhar Industrial Area, Bidar District, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Groundwater samples for pre and post-monsoon seasons were collected from the watershed covering Kolhar Industrial Area (KIA), Bidar District, Karnataka for assessment of groundwater quality and its possible contaminant migration from the industrial area. Major ions and heavy metal chemistry was analyses for collected samples. Groundwater samples from industrial area shows elevated Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentration than groundwater samples from the other part of the watershed. Based on groundwater quality analyses results, four high TDS concentrations zones of 2000 to 8000 mg/l were identified in an industrial area wells. Groundwater flow and transport modeling was carried out to decipher the possible migration pathways and direction of contaminant migration. Groundwater flow and transport modeling suggests that the high TDS concentration were follows general topographic level trend of contaminant migration. The groundwater transport model was calibrated for fifty years. The modeling study also suggests that the different high TDS concentration plumes were joins together after fifty years.

Keywords: Kolhar Industrial Area (KIA), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Flow and Contaminant transport modelling.