Groundwater quality assessment and evaluation of scaling and corrosiveness potential of drinking water samples

The aims of this study were to assess and analyze the drinking water quality of the Aurangabad area using the water quality index (WQI) and to investigate the water stability in the subject area. Groundwater samples from the shallow unconfined aquifer were collected from fifteen borewells in Aurangabad, Bihar, and were analyzed for various physico-chemical parameters. The pH, temperature, salinity, TDS, and EC were measured in the field. The borewell samples were analyzed in the laboratory for Ca²⁺, Mg^2+, F^-, Cl⁻, PO₄^3-, HCO^3-, NO^3- and SO₄^2-. Accordingly, the Langeliar saturation index (LSI), Ryznar stability index (RSI), Puckorius scaling index (PSI), Larson-Skold index (Ls), and Aggressivity index (AI) were evaluated for assessing the corrosive nature of the groundwater. The results illustrated that the average values of LSI, RSI, PSI, LS, and AI were -0.92 (±0.47), 9.09 (±0.67), 9.50 (±0.73), 1.73 (±0.78), and 11.05 (±0.48), respectively. The calculation of WQI for groundwater samples indicated that 12.5 % of the samples could be considered as excellent water, 62.50 % of the samples were classified as good water category and 18.75 % of the samples showed poor and 6.25 % of the samples showed very poor water category. The corrosiveness indices, LSI and PSI, indicate that all water samples had a corrosive tendency. RSI indicates that 87.5 % high corrosive tendency and 12.5 % low corrosive tendency of water samples. Ls indicates that 75 % high corrosive tendency, 18.75 % corrosive tendency, and 6.25 % scaling tendency of water samples. AI indicates that 93.75 % of water samples were moderately corrosive tendency and 6.25 % of water samples were corrosive tendency.