A preliminary groundwater investigation using geoelectrical resistivity survey in the Bengkalis Island, Indonesia

Abstract

Groundwater resources are one of the natural resources that need to be preserved. The main problem of groundwater in coastal areas is the intrusion of seawater into the groundwater aquifer. The problem will be even more complex when the land is covered by peat soil. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of groundwater in the western part of Bengkalis Island. Geoelectrical resistivity data was taken with the Schumberger configuration with the increase in the electrode distance being varied to obtain accurate measurements. Groundwater samples were measured to obtain the physical character of the groundwater. The results show that groundwater close to the shoreline has been contaminated by the presence of seawater intrusion. However, in areas that are a bit far from the shoreline, the shallow aquifer groundwater conditions are still not contaminated by seawater. It can be concluded that the presence of seawater in the aquifer is caused by the trapping of seawater in the aquifer during sediment deposition in the past.