Assessment of Variation in Water Quality Index (WQI) of Groundwater in North Goa, India

Abstract

A water quality index (WQI) is a tool which numerically summarizes the information from multiple water quality parameters into a single value and this information can be used to assess spatial and temporal variations in overall water quality. However, these indices are time and region specific and may be influenced by local factors. In the present study, water quality index has been worked out to assess the spatial and temporal variation of groundwater quality status for future planning and management of North Goa. Data of 19 groundwater samples were collected in the year 2005 during January, March and April, are used for the analysis. The Water Quality Index has been computed using four parameters viz. pH, Total Dissolved Solids, Total Hardness and Chloride. The WQI results show that the overall water quality class is ‘good’ and water is acceptable for domestic use.