Hydrogeochemical investigation and groundwater quality assessment toward 'smart city planning in a coastal aquifer, India

This paper aims to understand the general background of groundwater quality that must be considered for the 'smart city' planning of Surat city. Twenty-Six water samples collected from bore wells of the city were analyzed. The results showed that water is alkaline, as pH varies from 7.6 to 9.2. The concentration of Cl- and Na+ are correlated with EC. The highest levels of Cl- and Na+ are found near the coastal region (predominantly Northwestern); Piper trilinear diagram shows 52% of samples are Na-HCO3-type and 48% Na-Cl type. WQI shows that most samples are potable for drinking, but a few samples from the western part are not suitable for drinking. SAR, Na%, and PI results show that most samples are suitable for irrigation. The corrosivity index indicates that 50% of samples have a CR > 1(unsafe zone), and the rest are within the safe limit. The relationship of WQI with different water quality parameters revealed that groundwater quality has deteriorated in the city's western part, which may be due to seawater intrusion in the aquifer. This work gives a basic idea of groundwater quality, which will help make Surat a smart city.