Hydrogeochemical Model and Water Quality of Groundwater in the Granito-Basaltic Fractured Rock Aquiferous Formations in Bafoussam, West Region-Cameroon

Abstract

This study determined the hydrogeochemical model of groundwater and groundwater domestic-agro-industrial quality in Bafoussam using hydrogeo-chemical tools and physicochemical parameters: Ionic ratios, Gibbs diagrams, Piper diagrams, Durov diagrams and water quality indices. From physico-chemical parameters; pH ranged from, 4.47 - 7.84; EC, 10 - 820 µS/cm; Tem-perature, 22.3˚C - 29.5˚C and TDS, 6.7 - 549.4 mg/L. The major ions fell below WHO acceptable limits. The sequences of major ionic abundance are: Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+ > Na+ > , > Cl− > > NO3 > . Recharge by atmospheric precipitation, ion-exchange and simple dissolution processes are responsible for groundwater character, ionic content resulted from ion exchange and rock-weathering. Water types are Ca-HCO3 and Ca-Cl Hydrogeochemical facies are Ca-Mg-Cl-SO4 and Ca-Mg-HCO3. Domestic water quality was determined by use of pH, electrical Conductivity EC, total dissolved solids TDS, total Hardness HT and water quality index WQI...