Geochemical characterization of surface water and spring water in SE Kashmir Valley,western Himalaya: Implications to water–rock interaction

Water samples from precipitation, glacier melt, snow melt, glacial lake, streams and karst springs were collected across SE of Kashmir Valley, to understand the hydrogeochemical processes governing the evolution of the water in a natural and non-industrial area of western Himalayas. The time series data on solute chemistry suggest that the hydrochemical processes controlling the chemistry of spring waters is more complex than the surface water. This is attributed to more time available for infiltrating water to interact with the diverse host lithology. Total dissolved solids (TDS), in general, increases with decrease in altitude. However, high TDS of some streams at higher altitudes and low TDS of some springs at lower altitudes indicated contribution of high TDS waters from glacial lakes and low TDS waters from streams, respectively. The results show that some karst springs are recharged by surface water; Achabalnag by the Bringi stream and Andernag and Martandnag by the Liddar stream. Calcite dissolution, dedolomitization and silicate weathering were found to be the main processes controlling the chemistry of the spring waters and calcite dissolution as the dominant process in controlling the chemistry of the surface waters. The spring waters were undersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite in most of the seasons except in November, which is attributed to the replenishment of the CO₂ by recharging waters during most of the seasons.     

Drinking water production from surface water sources in the tropics: Brasília DF,Brazil

Drinking water production at three waterworks was evaluated with respect to variable weather conditions in the Brasília Distrito Federal. Results of the investigation revealed that seasonal variations in rainfall play an important role in influencing the quality of the surface water sources used for drinking water production in the district. In most surface sources, particles and apparent colour are likely to originate from erosion during rain events. This represents the primary challenge facing waterworks, notably when the raw water qualities of the sources to be treated at one facility differ by one order of magnitude, as well significantly varying from one season to the next. Treatment efficiencies in terms of turbidity, apparent colour and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal were evaluated. Drinking water quality was found to be significantly influenced by raw water quality at all considered treatment plants. With regard to DOC removal, treatment was most efficient in waterworks which treated raw water with high percentages of biopolymers and humics. Most dissolved organics were removed by coagulation. Finally, conclusions are drawn on how to better cope with challenges facing drinking water production in a tropical climate. The first of these recommendations is the introduction of online turbidity and dissolved organic matter monitoring in order to optimise the coagulation process for the removal of these two parameters. A combination of different coagulants could also be considered for this process. Additional more sophisticated improvements to process stability, such as determination of floc characteristics, introduction of artificial neural networks or the eventual upgrade of the treatment train using membrane filtration, are also suggested.     

Effect of Zob-Ahan effluent water on ground water quality

Even though, application of industrial effluent water may alleviate the irrigation water shortage in dry regions such as Iran, but uncontrolled discharge into environment and agricultural land may cause unirreversible harmful damage to environments. Therefore, application of industrial effluent water should consider the environmental consequences such as soil, ground water and food contamination. In this study the effect application of Zob-Ahan effluent water for irrigation water and seepage from evaporation ponds on the chemical composition of surrounding well-water were seasonally investigated from April to March in 2003. The water from the selected well was sampled and analyzed for pH, EC, nitrate, hardness, TSS, TDS, and cations including Na^＋, Ca^2＋, Mg^2＋, anions including SO4^2-, CO3^2-, HCO3^-, Cl^-, and heavy metals including Pb, Cd, Cu, Fe, Cr, Mn, Co, and Zn . The results were compared with standard levels for ground water resources, irrigation water, and direct human consumption. The result shows that the ground water in the vicinity of effluent water application fields and evaporation ponds is contaminated and the concentrations of NO3, Cl and Fe are higher than standard permissible levels for ground water resources. For irrigation or discharge into absorption well the heavy metal concentrations of Cu, Cr, Co, and Fe are limiting.     

Characteristics of isotope in precipitation,river water and lake water in the Manasarovar basin of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

The stable hydrogen and oxygen of lake, river, rain and snow waters were investigated to understand the water cycle characteristics of the drainage basin of Manasarovar Lake in Tibet. Both δD and δ ¹⁸O of river water are larger than those of lake water and the effect of altitude on both δD and δ ¹⁸O is not very significant. This phenomenon was suggested to occur because Manasarovar basin is located in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau which has low latitude, high altitude, abundant glaciers, thin air and intensive solar radiation, resulting in higher evaporation in lake water.     

Characteristics of Piezometric heads and determination of fresh water–salt water interface in the coastal zone near Beihai,China

Changes in hydraulic heads with space and time and evolution of the location of fresh water–salt water interface are important for groundwater development in coastal aquifers. Measurements of piezometric heads at 11 well clusters consisting of three piezometric wells of different depths with a 5-day interval for 15 months show that the piezometric heads at nearly all the wells near the northwestern coast in Beihai decrease with increasing depth and increase with increasing distance from the coast. Changes in piezometric heads at the wells during the measurement period were caused by seasonal precipitation and induced by the tide. The depth of the sharp interface between fresh water–salt water can be estimated based on measurements of piezometric heads at a piezometric well tapping at a point in the salt water zone below the interface and measurements of the water table at the same well. The calculations of the interface for well H5 range from 40 to 80 m below sea level in the measurement period, which are believed to be more reasonable than those estimated with the Ghyben–Herzberg relation. An erratum to this article can be found at     

A multi-period optimization model for conjunctive surface water–ground water use via aquifer storage and recovery in Corpus Christi,Texas

The present study develops and evaluates a decision support system for the conjunctive management of the current surface and proposed aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) facility of the city of Corpus Christi, TX using a simulation–optimization approach. The objective of the model is to maximize water storage in the surface and subsurface storage units while meeting (1) the freshwater inflow requirements to the Corpus Christi estuary and (2) the water demands of the city and its service area. The model is parameterized using streamflow data from the U. S. Geological Survey gauging stations on the Nueces River and its tributaries as well as long-term climatic data and regional hydrogeologic information. Results indicate that a single-well field ASR facility is capable of storing approximately 925 ha-m (7,500 ac-ft) of water over a 5-year period in the Evangeline Aquifer with a total potential storage of about 2,715 ha-m (22,000 ac-ft) of water over the jurisdictional area of the Corpus Christi Aquifer Storage and Recovery Conservation District. Surplus surface water sources are seen to contribute approximately 49–96 % of the water stored in the ASR during the simulation period. The remaining storage came from either Choke Canyon Reservoir or Lake Corpus Christi, which also resulted in a slight reduction in evapotranspiration in both reservoirs. The analysis indicates that the proposed ASR system is not limited on the supply side but multiple well fields may be required to increase the storage capacity within the aquifer.     

Ground water recharge in urban areas — Experience of rain water harvesting

Water consumption is likely to increase substantially in the future on account of rising population, economic growth, and social development. Rapid urbanization and population growth of Allahabad city, has necessitated thinking about the declination in ground water level as well as supply of sufficient quantity of water for future either for drinking purpose or industrial use. In the present study, rainfall recharge of Allahabad city has been computed on GIS platform (ArcInfo). Groundwater recharge potential zones of Allahabad city have also been found out using GIS. Case study of recharge of ground water through roof top rainwater harvesting at Vikas Bhawan (a multistoryed building), Allahabad is discussed. An implementation of this analysis and decision making software is expected to work for sustainable water management.     

Geochemistry of О, Н, C,S, and Sr isotopes in the water and sediments of the Aral basin

The paper presents original authors' data on the O, H, C, S, and Sr isotopic composition of water and sediments from the basins into which the Aral Sea split after its catastrophic shoaling: Chernyshev Bay (CB), the basin of the Great Aral in the north, Lake Tshchebas (LT), and Minor Sea (MS). The data indicate that the δ¹⁸О, δD, δ¹³C, and δ³⁴S of the water correlate with the mineralization (S) of the basins (as of 2014): for CB, S = 135.6‰, δ¹⁸О = 4.8 ± 0.1‰, δD = 5 ± 2‰, δ¹³C (dissolved inorganic carbon, DIC) = 3.5 ± 0.1‰, δ³⁴S = 14.5‰; for LT, S = 83.8‰, δ¹⁸О = 2.0 ± 0.1‰, δD =–13.5 ± 1.5‰, δ¹³C = 2.0 ± 0.1‰, δ³⁴S = 14.2‰; and for MS, S = 9.2‰, δ¹⁸О =–2.0 ± 0.1‰, δD =–29 ± 1‰, δ¹³C =–0.5 ± 0.5‰, δ³⁴S = 13.1‰. The oxygen and hydrogen isotopic composition of the groundwaters are similar to those in MS and principally different from the artesian waters fed by atmospheric precipitation. The mineralization, δ¹³С, and δ³⁴S of the groundwaters broadly vary, reflecting interaction with the host rocks. The average δ¹³С values of the shell and detrital carbonates sampled at the modern dried off zones of the basins are similar: 0.8 ± 0.8‰ for CB, 0.8 ± 1.4‰ for LT, and –0.4 ± 0.3‰ for MS. The oxygen isotopic composition of the carbonates varies much more broadly, and the average values are as follows: 34.2 ± 0.2‰ for CB, 32.0 ± 2.2‰ for LT, and 28.2 ± 0.9‰ for MS. These values correlate with the δ¹⁸O of the water of the corresponding basins. The carbonate cement of the Late Eocene sandstone of the Chengan Formation, which makes up the wave-cut terrace at CB, has anomalously low δ¹³С up to –38.5‰, suggesting origin near a submarine methane seep. The δ³⁴S of the mirabilite and gypsum (11.0 to 16.6‰) from the bottom sediments and young dried off zone also decrease from CB to MS in response to increasing content of sulfates brought by the Syr-Darya River (δ³⁴S = 9.1 to 9.9‰) and weakening sulfate reduction. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio in the water and carbonates of the Aral basins do not differ, within the analytical error, and is 0.70914 ± 0.00003 on average. This value indicate that the dominant Sr source of the Aral Sea is Mesozoic–Cenozoic carbonate rocks. The Rb–Sr systems of the silicate component of the bottom silt (which is likely dominated by eolian sediments) of MS and LT plot on the Т = 160 ± 5 Ma, I₀ = 0.7091 ± 0.0001, pseudochron. The Rb–Sr systems of CB are less ordered, and the silt is likely a mixture of eolian and alluvial sediments.     

Heavy metal concentrations in water and surface sediments of Maharlou Lake, SE of Shiraz, Iran

The main objective of this study is to evaluate trace metal distribution and identify their sources in the Maharlou Lake. Trace metals （Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb） and major elements （A1, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P） were investigated in water and surface sediments. There was a negative relationship between the depth of water and heavy metal concentration. Metal concentrations in water and sediment samples show a high variability and decrease in this order： Al〉Fe〉Ni〉Co〉Pb〉Zn〉Cu〉Mn〉Cd. In the northern parts of the lake, especially at the inflow of drains and the Khoshk River of Shiraz City, metal concentrations are higher in both water and sediment samples. In order to assess the heavy metal enrichment in sediment samples, trace metal concentrations were normalized for Al. Except for Mn, all metals are enriched relative to average crust and average sedimentary rocks. Also, the results showed that stations located at the northern coast of the lake, have higher enrichment factors （EF） than the other stations. The results of this study showed that the Khoshk River and other drains are the main pollutant sources of the Maharluo Lake.     

Hydrochemistry and environmental isotope study of the geothermal water around Beypazarı granitoids,Ankara, Turkey

Hydrochemical analysis results suggest four different water types: bicarbonate dominant water (facies-I), sulfate dominant cold brine water (facies-II), sodium-bicarbonate dominant thermal water and thermal and mineralized water (facies-III), and sulfate–chloride dominant thermal and mineralized water (facies-IV). The mineral content/salinity of the water is related to the ions that these waters dissolve from the minerals on the rocks during infiltration and circulation in the saturated zone. Gypsum cover units that exist on the granitoids in the region is the main factor for the ion increase in the facies III geothermal water similar to the cold brine water (facies II). Isotopic analyses indicate that the thermal springs (Dutlu bath spring, Aya? bath well, Çoban bath well and Kapullu bath spring) are of meteoric origin and receive recharge from precipitation in the Beypazar? granitoids and around gypseous formations with elevations of about 950–1,150 m. Karakaya bath well and Il?ca bath spring thermal water points are recharged from the Bilecik limestone hills, Tekke volcanics and ?ncedoruk Formations. Karakoca mineral spring of thermal and mineralized water is recharged from out of the study area. According to oxygen-18 (SO₄^2?) and sulfur-34 (SO₄^2?) contents, sulfate in water samples from Aya? and Dutlu resorts as well as Çoban bath is derived from the gypsum of Kirmir Formation as the primary source. Sulfates of the Kapullu bath water and Karakoca mineral water originate from secondary sources such as pyrite oxidation and bacteriological reduction.     

Measurement of pesticides in surface water and sediment of Caspian Sea, Iran

Background: With development of intensive agriculture in the agricultural regions of the Northern provinces (Caspian Sea coasts), which involves frequent pesticide use in highly mechanized cash-crop cultures. To investigate and provide information on pest…     

Distribution and speciation of mercury in surface water in Wanshan Hg-mined areas, Guizhou Province, China

Mercury as a toxic element poses environmental concerns, especially in historically Hg-mined districts. The Wanshan Hg mine located in the eastern part of Guizhou Province, southwestern China, ranks the largest Hg-producing district in China. Mining at Wanshan was initiated in 221 B.C., but ceased in 2001. Approximately 22000 tons of Hg, 6000 tons of cinnabar and large quantities of mine-wastes had been produced at Wanshan. Significant quantities of calcines, which were piled irregularly near the old mine processing sites and retorts, continue to impact the local environments in the Wanshan area. In this study, a regional contamination of mercury in surface waters collected from the Meizixi, Dashuixi, Huandao and Gaolouping rivers, whose upstreams or branches originate from the hilly karstic area and receive drainage arising from the calcines, was investigated by determining all Hg species in a base-flow and a flood-flow season. Reactive, dissolved, particulate, and total Hg concentrations in surface water varied from 0.60 to 400 ng/L, 11 to 430 ng/L, 1.4 to 9210 ng/L, and 15 to 9260 ng/L, respectively. Total methylmercury in water samples ranges from 0.31 to 25 ng/L. The concentrations of total Hg and particulate Hg in water samples collected during the flood season are higher than those in the base-flow season, whereas, the concentrations of dissolved and reactive Hg are lower with the peak values observed in water samples collected in the base-flow season. A strong positive correlation between total Hg and particulate Hg is noticed in the water samples collected from Hg-mined areas with the proportion higher than 80%.     

Groundwater’s significance to changing hydrology, water chemistry, and biological communities of a floodplain ecosystem, Everglades, South Florida, USA

The Everglades (Florida, USA) is one of the world’s larger subtropical peatlands with biological communities adapted to waters low in total dissolved solids and nutrients. Detecting how the pre-drainage hydrological system has been altered is crucial to preserving its functional attributes. However, reliable tools for hindcasting historic conditions in the Everglades are limited. A recent synthesis demonstrates that the proportion of surface-water inflows has increased relative to precipitation, accounting for 33% of total inputs compared with 18% historically. The largest new source of water is canal drainage from areas of former wetlands converted to agriculture. Interactions between groundwater and surface water have also increased, due to increasing vertical hydraulic gradients resulting from topographic and water-level alterations on the otherwise extremely flat landscape. Environmental solute tracer data were used to determine groundwater’s changing role, from a freshwater storage reservoir that sustained the Everglades ecosystem during dry periods to a reservoir of increasingly degraded water quality. Although some of this degradation is attributable to increased discharge of deep saline groundwater, other mineral sources such as fertilizer additives and peat oxidation have made a greater contribution to water-quality changes that are altering mineral-sensitive biological communities.     

Participants or customers in water governance? Community-public partnerships for peri-urban water supply

We examine the performance of water user associations (WUAs) and the role of actors, power relations, socio-institutional dynamics, and context in supplying water to poor urban and peri-urban neighborhoods of Malawi’s two major cities. Using a preliminary survey, key-informant interviews, focus groups, secondary data, and insights from the community-based natural resources management (CBNRM) literature and common-pool resources (CPR) theory, we argue that while a business-based WUA model can enhance water supply and access, the urban/peri-urban and historical context alters the nature of water and social actors and power relations involved, causing tradeoffs between water-supply and social goals of ownership, participation, and empowerment. The ensuing tradeoffs demonstrate that water supply to the urban/peri-urban landscape through community-based initiatives require flexibility in CBNRM expectations.