Groundwater investigations in the Hattar industrial estate and its vicinity, Haripur district, Pakistan: An integrated approach

Abstract

The Hattar industrial estate in the Haripur district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan, is investigated for the groundwater potential and aquifer vulnerability using vertical electrical sounding (VES) data, borehole logs, and hydrochemical analysis. A total of eight VES points were acquired in the Haripur region using Schlumberger configuration. The interpreted VES models are further constrained by four borehole logs to delineate comprehensive information of the thin lithological layers, subsurface layers configuration, and spatial extent in the area. A quantitative interpretation based on the VES and the borehole data suggests six main subsurface layers: (i) soil cover, (ii) gravel, (iii) clay, (iv) clay with gravel, (v) silty-clay, and (vi) sand with boulder in the study area. A fence diagram is also generated to provide a detailed paleo-depositional model of the subsurface layers. The interpreted VES data is utilized to compute aquifer thickness, longitudinal conductance, and transverse resistance within the study area. The lateral extent and protective capacity for the aquifer were inferred from these measurements. The aquifer thickness is relatively low in the central and eastern parts ranging from 10 m to 11 m. The longitudinal conductance map shows values greater than 2 mhos from the central region to northern one. This is indicative of moderate to good protective capacity for the aquifer and is less vulnerable to infiltration of Hattar industrial polluted fluid. However, the values less than 0.19 mhos in the southwest and east are indicative of weak protective capacity with risk of contamination. The hydrochemical analysis of the surface and subsurface water is carried out at eleven locations to identify the water quality within the study area. The chemical analysis of the water shows the presence of the high concentration of magnesium, bicarbonate, and chlorine away from the World Health Organization (WHO) standard.

Integrated Geoelectrical and Geological Investigation of a Quaternary Paleo-Depositional Environment in the Haripur Basin, Northern Pakistan: Implications for Groundwater System

“…The boreholes, field-based geological observations, and VES data show that confined aquifer may exist at shallow level about 20 m depths near foothill slopes. The groundwater table also fluctuates from the foothills to the center and south of the basin [5]. The groundwater level range between 15 and 25 m near the foothills, whereas towards the center of the basin, it drops down to 40-80 m. In the south, the groundwater level drops down to 90 m.…”

“…The near-surface geological and geophysical techniques are useful for investigating the groundwater resources in the Quaternary depositional environment, as these techniques provide high-resolution subsurface images [4,5]. The electrical resistivity techniques are widely implemented for geological and hydrogeological studies [6].…”

Integrated Geophysical and Geotechnical Approaches for Evaluating Dam Seepage in Lesser Himalayan Region of Pakistan

“…Sixty electrodes were installed in a straight line along the measured profile. Wenner-Schlumberger configuration was adopted to achieve depth and lateral coverage [19]. The interval between electrodes was kept at 5 m in all the acquired profiles.…”

“…Conventional techniques involve hydrogeological investigations that are carried out through geological field visits and water level and temperature monitoring [18]. Geophysical methods, after their advent, have been widely used in detecting/monitoring different subsurface geological features [19]. Modern geophysical techniques such as ERT provide high-resolution images of the subsurface geological features [20,21].…”

Integrated Geophysical and Geospatial Approaches for Delineating Groundwater Potential Zones in Karachi, Pakistan

“…Review of the studies [12,16] suggests that the scope of groundwater studies is broad-ened by undertaking spatial modelling techniques. GISbased suitability model for well-location can be created by considering multiple data variables such as layer thickness, depth to aquifer, ground resistivity of aquifer [17][18][19][20] .…”