STATISTICAL INVESTIGATION OF GROUND WATER QUALITY …...Statistical Investigation of Ground Water Quality Across Coovum Watershed

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International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology (IJCIET) Volume 9, Issue 4, April 2018, pp. 372–381, Article ID: IJCIET_09_04_041

Available online at http://www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=9&IType=4

ISSN Print: 0976-6308 and ISSN Online: 0976-6316

© IAEME Publication Scopus Indexed

STATISTICAL INVESTIGATION OF GROUND

WATER QUALITY ACROSS COOVUM

WATERSHED

Thanga Gurusamy.B, Ilango.T, Soundarya.M.K

Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,

VELS Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies, (VISTAS) Chennai

Paul Abbinesh.L.S, Ram Kumar.R, Janagar.N

Student, Department of Civil Engineering,

VELS Institute of Science, Technology and Advanced Studies, (VISTAS) Chennai

ABSTRACT

This paper investigate about the spatial variation of ground water quality across

Chennai-Coovum watershed during the pre monsoon and pre 2015 flood season and

compared with that of post monsoon and post 2015 flood season. Only chemical water

quality parameters have been considered for this analysis. Basic statistical methods

have been used to convert the observed data into useful information. This analysis is

based on the data that has been made available to the public by Water Resources

Department, Chennai Tamil Nadu. Both summary statistics analysis and Correlation

based analysis has been carried out and the result have been presented in graphical

and tabular form. SPSS software has been used to perform Correlation Coefficient

analysis and other Measures of Dispersion and Measures of Central Tendency used to

describe the water quality spatial distribution characteristics. Analysis of ratio of pre

flood water quality to that of post flood water quality has been performed. Three

locations such as Pudupet, Thirumazhisai, and Mugappair west have reported high

flood sensitivity for most of the chemical water quality parameters. The ground water

quality near Vepery and Chepauk hostel location are consistently not suitable for

drinking purposes without proper treatment. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and

Electrical conductivity (EC) are proving very good correlation strength with others

such as Ca, Mg, Na, k and Cl. But some of the parameters such as PH, NO3, SO4, CO3,

F and HCO3 do not show correlation strength with other parameters. Negative skewness

has been reported only by PH parameter and the distribution of HCO3 is having zero

skewness and similar to that of Normal distribution. Many parameters including TDS,

Hardness and Fluorides proved to have Positive skewness and leptokurtic distribution.

Keywords: Ground water quality, spatial distribution Analysis, Statistical methods,

Correlation coefficient.

Statistical Investigation of Ground Water Quality Across Coovum Watershed


Cite this Article: Thanga Gurusamy.B, Ilango.T, Soundarya.M.K, Paul Abbinesh.L.S,

Ram Kumar.R and Janagar.N, Statistical Investigation of Ground Water Quality Across

Coovum Watershed, International Journal of Civil Engineering and Technology, 9(4),

2018, pp. 372–381.

http://www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?JType=IJCIET&VType=9&IType=4

1. INTRODUCTION

The earth consists of atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere. Life sustaining resources are

available on all these three components of earth. The hydrosphere includes the oceans, streams,

lakes and ground water resources that interflow with the surface water. The lithosphere covers

the core of the earth. The atmosphere is containing a mixture of gases extending outward from

the earth surface. The biosphere has received and assimilated the wastes generated by plants

and animals. [1] Water quality in the intermediate stage between precipitation and evaporation

will affect the Human use of water. The impurities present in the water may be in suspended,

colloidal and dissolved form. Metcalf (1979)[2] has classified these impurities such that if the

impurity particles size is above 1µm then it is called as Suspended impurities and if it is below

0.001 µm then it is dissolved impurities and in between 0.001 µm and 1µm is called as colloidal

particles.

Water pollution has been defined as the presence of impurities in such a quantity so as to

impair the use of water for a stated purpose. The BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS (BIS)

has given water quality specifications for drinking use of water using the IS code 10500:2012.

[3] These impurities have been classified as Physical, chemical and biological. Water resources

management at all levels from upper stage National and State levels to lower stage local

municipality level involves the task of monitoring the existing quantity and quality of water

resources. This is because the objectives of this water resources department is to supply

necessary amount of water with acceptable quality at the demanded point of time and space to

satisfy the domestic, agricultural and industrial water requirements of the society. The

monitoring involves the tasks of data collection and converting the data into useful information

for decision making purposes such that the management process will get optimized. This

research work involves the analysis of data collected by the water resources department to get

useful information with the use of Statistical methods. The result presented in graphical and

tabular form has been discussed.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

The importance of Ground water in both quantitative and qualitative perspectives has been

discussed by Ayibatele (1992) [4] at world as well as local levels. The typical ground water

quality of samples collected from tube wells and open wells has been discussed using basic

methods by Mishra (2002) [5] and has been illustrated along with sources of pollutants. Garg

(1990) [6] had presented the statistical based correlation analysis of ground water quality for the

Roorkee city in the North Indian region. Shah (2007) [7] had reported the statistical based

analysis for the ground water quality and other physiochemical parameters for area located in

the Gujarat state.

Sarkar (2006) [8] had presented the spatial variation of fluoride concentration in the ground

water using statistical based correlation and regression methods. Shihab (1993) [9] had reported

the application multivariate method for the analysis and interpretation of water quality data

monitored for the Saddam reservoir. Pantelić (2012) [10] had used statistical based methods for

the analysis of water quality parameters in the canal and the spatial distribution of water quality

along the length of the canal had been discussed.

Thanga Gurusamy.B, Ilango.T, Soundarya.M.K, Paul Abbinesh.L.S, Ram Kumar.R and

Janagar.N


Pollution of ground water resources due to infiltration of polluted water from Cooum River

is has been investigated and reported by CGWD annual report. [11] Application of Statistical

based methods in the area of water resources had been discussed by Helsel (2002). [12]

Evaluation of the ground water quality based on the statistical methods had been performed by

Singh (2006) [13] in the area of Northern Indo-Gangetic Alluvium Region.

APHA, Washington (1998) [14] has reported the contamination of ground water quality from

solid waste disposal system. Assessment of ground water quality had been carried out and

reported by Hong (1999) [15] which involves the use of geographical information system to

analyse the spatial variation of ground water quality.

3. STUDY AREA

Coovum Watershed is geographically bounded between latitudes 12.9° N to 13.12° N and

longitudes 79.6° E to 80.3° E. and having total catchment area is 400sq.km. Location of

confluence with Bay of Bengal for this is Coovum mouth near Napier Bridge. The total length

of this Coovum river is about is 72km and out of this, the length in the Chennai city limit is

18km, whereas the length in the Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) limit the length is 40

km.The origin of Coovum river is from the Coovum tank in the Thiruvallur district, which in

turn receives water by the diversion from the Kesavaram anicut located across the

Kosasthalaiyar river near Thakkolam. The upper catchment of Coovum River is primarily rural

and it is constrained by the channels when it passes through Chennai city.The Ground water

quality along Coovum river is highly polluted by the drainage networks of the Chennai city.

The Coovum watershed contains the central Chennai area and typical bed width of Coovum

River is in between 40m to 120m. The Figure 3.1 shows the location of Coovum watershed in

the Chennai Sub basin in between the Kosasthalaiyar watershed in the north and Adayar

watershed in the south.

Figure 3.1 Location map of Chennai Coovum watershed.



4. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

A set of water quality monitoring wells is being maintained by the water resources department

and a set of chemical water quality parameters is being observed by the department during every

year pre monsoon and post monsoon season. These data is being made available for the analysis

by students, research scholars and other departmental staffs. The list of the wells located in the

Coovum watershed is shown in the table 4.1 and the corresponding location map of observation

wells is shown in the Figure 4.1.

Table 4.1 Location of water quality monitoring well across Coovum watershed

WELL NUMBER Village WELL NUMBER Village

C01 Govindavadi C19 Parthipattu

C02 Govinthavadiagaram C20 Ayabakkam

C03 Purisai C21 Mugapper West

C04 Sriperumbudur C22 Koyambedu

C05 Maduramangalam C23 Koyambedu-temple

C06 Kumaracheri C24 Saligramam-school

C07 Pudupet C25 Saligramam-kovil

C08 Kadambathur C26 Arumbakkam

C09 Mappedu C27 Arumbakkam-green Tribunal

C10 Melnallathur C28 Nugambakkam-park

C11 Illuppur C29 Nugambakkam-school

C12 Korattur C30 Purasavakkam-school

C13 Nemam C31 Perambur-mandapam

C14 Thirumazhisai C32 Purasavakkam-mandapam

C15 Thandarai C33 Vepery

C16 Kannamapalayam C34 Vepery-jain School

C17 Avadi C35 Chepauk Hostel

C18 Poonamallee C36 Chepauk

Figure 4.1 Location map of water quality monitoring well across Coovum watershed

The well number is given in sequential order from west to east. The well C1 is located in

the extreme west of the watershed near Coovum tank and the well C36 is at Chepauk near sea

shore. The ground water Quality distribution graph is drawn such that the horizontal x axis

refers from west to east. Temporal and spatial variation of ground water quality can be analyzed


Janagar.N


by any appropriate methods and the information deducted can be used for the decision making

purposes. Various set of graphs are used to detect information from the data. These graphs are

Frequency distribution, Cumulative frequency distribution, Relative frequency distribution, etc.

Graphs of frequency distribution and Relative frequency distribution are useful because

they emphasis and clarify patterns that are not so readily discernible in tables. Frequency

Distribution has been defined as an organized display of data that shows the number of

observations from the data set that falls into each of the set of mutually exclusive and

collectively exhaustive classes. Relative frequency Distribution has been defined as the display

of a data set that shows the fraction or percentage of the total data set that falls into each of a

set of mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive classes.

Skewness has been defined as the extent to which a distribution of data points is

concentrated at one end or the other; the lack of symmetry. Range has been defined as the

distance between the highest and lowest values in the data set. Kurtosis has been defined as

peakedness of a distribution of data points. Coefficient of variation has been defined as a

relative measure of dispersion, comparable across distribution that expresses the standard

deviation as a percentage of the mean. Variance has been defined as a measure of the squared

distance between the mean and each item in the population. The figure 4.2 shows the shape of

the distribution having positive and negative skewness.

Figure 4.2 Positive and Negative skewness of the distribution

The binomial distribution is mesokurtic. Examples of leptokurtic distributions include the

Laplace distribution, and Poisson distribution. Uniform distribution is platykurtic. The

expression for correlation coefficient r is given as below, where X and Y are the two variables

selected and n is the number of observations. If the correlation coefficient is nearby to 1 then it

represents the strong relationship between the two variables selected.

All the above statistical parameters have been calculated and tabulated in the form of

Measures of central tendency and the measures of dispersion and the matrix of correlation

coefficient. The information detected has been discussed. The frequency distribution graphs

and cumulative distribution graph have been drawn to detect the information contained in data

set.

5. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Spatial distribution selected water quality and Flood sensitivity ratio of water quality are shown

in Figure 5.1 Tables for the dispersion and central tendency measures have been prepared for

both pre 2015 flood season and post 2015 flood season as shown in the Table 5.1 and



5.2.Frequency distribution and Cumulative frequency distribution has been prepared for the

selected water quality parameters and shown in the Figure 5.2.

Matrix of the correlation coefficients has been prepared for all combinations of the water

quality parameters for both pre 2015 flood season and post 2015 flood season and are shown in

Table 5.3 and Table 5.4 respectively. The water quality at Vepery and Chepauk locations are

consistently above permissible limit and hence not suitable for drinking purposes without

proper treatment.

Most of the water quality parameters including TDS, fluorides, total hardness, Electrical

conductivity etc are exhibiting positive skewness in its frequency distribution. Negative

skewness has been reported only by PH parameter and the distribution of HCO3 is having zero

skewness having similar to that of Normal distribution.

Very good correlation strength has been reported by both TDS and EC along with other

parameters such as Calcium. Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium and chlorides. Nitrates do not

have correlation with any other water quality parameters. But some of the parameters such as

PH, NO3, SO4, CO3, F and HCO3 do not show correlation strength with other parameters.

6. CONCLUSIONS

The water resources management system at any of the national, state, and local municipality

level can be modeled as a closed loop control system. This system is having objectives to

optimize the water resources utilization process in order to satisfy the domestic, agricultural

and industrial water demand with specified water quality.

The feedback mechanism involves the water quality monitoring system in order to design

the separate water treatment system for domestic and industrial requirements. Design involves

decision making. For such decision making process, the information received from the analysis

of water quality is highly useful. Even though basic statistical methods have been used in this

paper, some other analytical, simulation based and other advanced statistical methods are also

available.

Using time series water quality data the forecasting of future water quality can be done to

plan for the design of system to satisfy the future requirements during the design period.

Computer based automatic water quality analysis system on real time basis can also be

implemented to work like a Management Information System (MIS) to assist the water

resources management process.


Janagar.N


Figure 5.1 Spatial distribution selected water quality and Flood sensitivity ratio of water quality

Table 5.1 Measures of central tendency and measures of Dispersion for pre 2015 flood season



Table 5.2 Measures of central tendency and measures of Dispersion for Post 2015 flood season

Table 5.3 Matrix of Correlation coefficients for pre 2015 flood season Ground water quality

Table 5.4 Matrix of Correlation coefficients for post 2015 flood season Ground water quality


Janagar.N


Figure 5.2 Frequency & Cumulative frequency distribution for selected water quality parameters



ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors are grateful to the management of VELS Institute of Science, Technology and

Advanced studies (VISTAS) for their consistent encouragement towards this research work and

to the Executive Engineer, Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department Chennai, for their kind

support to provide necessary ground water quality data for the study area considered.

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STATISTICAL INVESTIGATION OF GROUND WATER QUALITY …...Statistical Investigation of Ground Water Quality Across Coovum Watershed