Study of water quality through hydro-chemical signature in León, Guanajuato, Mexico

Abstract

The aquifer system of Valle de León (VL) is a free aquifer that consists mainly of sedimentary Tertiary rocks of lacustrine origin (Fig. 1). This valley presents different hydraulic conductivity stratifications that store water with various chemical and isotopic characteristics, so this water represents its different origins. According to the most recent census (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, INEGI), VL has a population of 1,436,480 inhabitants, living in 11 population centers; it is the region’s most important industrial corridor and is included in one of Mexico’s most productive agricultural zones. VL covers approximately 687 km2 surrounded by higher altitude topographic zones. The water supply of the population is mainly groundwater. This comes from deep wells, which are located mostly in irrigation zones but also in urban and rural zones of VL.