Origin, anthropogenic and climate influences on the occurrences of saline groundwater at the city of Cairo, Egypt deduced by chemical parameters of the water composition

Abstract

Three old springs in the southeastern part at the border of Cairo City, named Ain Al Sira, Khayalat Al Shorta and Abo El Soud, used to be the origin of three natural ponds. Since the removal of one of these natural ponds (Abo El Soud) about three decades ago, by filling it with stones and recycled building material, an ongoing rise of the water level of the two remaining lakes or ponds has been observed. The water surface rise of the two ponds is still continuing and is actually even flooding nearby roads and cemeteries. The origin of the groundwater is from outflows of the outcropping Tertiary rocks according to the main chemical composition of Pond Nr. 1 Khayalat Al Shorta, as also outflows of the water of the Eocene formation outcrop along the Eastern bank of the Nile valley according to the main chemical composition of Pond Nr. 2 Ain Al Sira. A remediation of the present situation would most probably only be possible by restoring the pools to their original extent and maintaining the water level by controlled drainage of the groundwater overflow, by installing a drainage system for lowering the groundwater level with small pumping stations scattered throughout the area of high groundwater levels along the main streets in the direction of the Nile (which would possibly replace the disappeared historical channel system).