Assessment of groundwater quality for irrigation use: a peninsular case study

Abstract The grade of irrigation water available to irrigators has a significant impact on crops as well as yields. Therefore, it is a need to better understand irrigation water quality. The present study mainly focuses on the assessment of the suitability of water of forty-four fixed bore wells of Kanchipuram district, Tamil Nadu, India. The groundwater sample datasets of post-monsoon (2005–2013) and pre-monsoon (2006–2013) season were collected for 9 years. Water quality indices, namely sodium adsorption ratio, exchangeable sodium percent (SSP or %Na), residual sodium carbonate (RSC or RA), Kelly’s ratio, permeability index, chloroalkaline indices (CAI1 and CAI2), potential salinity (PS), magnesium hazard, total dissolved solids and total hardness, have been calculated for separate bore wells. The r 1 and r 2 indices show that groundwater of the study area is Na+–SO4 2− and deep meteoric percolation type. Majority of the wells are fall under moderate to unsuitable category of water for irrigation purposes. Further, wells water has also been classified on the base of meteoric genesis index.