Assessment of Groundwater Quality Status using Water Quality Index in National Industrial Zone, Rawat, Pakistan

Title: Assessment of Groundwater Quality Status using Water Quality Index in National Industrial Zone, Rawat, Pakistan

Introduction: Groundwater is crucial for human consumption, agriculture, and industrial uses. Its widespread use in each sector of life makes it a life-saving component in society, but its quality and availability are seriously threatened by pollution and unnecessary usages, particularly industrial activities. In this regard, the National Industrial Zone (NIZ) in Rawat, Pakistan, was taken as the study area. So, we aimed to calculate the quality of water using a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Water Quality Index (WQI) to address improvements and their implications for public health and the environment.

Methodology: This study involved analyzing 11 physicochemical parameters in groundwater samples from 38 locations within the NIZ. These parameters were evaluated against both national and international water quality standards. Furthermore, the obtained data were processed using GIS to create spatial distribution maps, which were then used to calculate the Water Quality Index (WQI) for the study area.

Results: The analysis revealed that a significant portion of the groundwater in the NIZ exceeded permissible limits for several parameters, including EC, TDS, hardness, and chloride. Specifically, the WQI results indicated that 63% of the groundwater samples fell into the poor-quality category. The spatial distribution maps highlighted areas with the highest levels of contamination. Despite these findings, some groundwater remained within acceptable quality levels and was deemed usable for certain applications.

Conclusion: The findings emphasized the urgency for enhanced regulatory frameworks, improved wastewater treatment, increased public awareness, and ultra-processing techniques at the industrial level to prevent further contamination of groundwater in NIZ. Additionally, sustainable water management practices are required for safeguarding groundwater resources and protecting public and environmental health.