Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Groundwater Quality in the Region of Hassi R'mel, Algeria

Abstract

The quality of groundwater is characterized by a number of physical and chemical parameters, which in turn determine the way in which this water is used (water supply, irrigation, industry, etc.). This study constitutes a contribution to the highlighting of the hydrogeological and physico-chemical characteristics of the waters of the aquifer in question resulting from the various wells, which aims to; gather, exploit and analyze the data, in order to determine their conformity with potability standards and their suitability for irrigation. Using multivariate statistical techniques including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (ACH) and Diagram Analysis. They are applied to a dataset composed of 17 boreholes with 12 chemical variables over the entire study area, they were sampled in 2020. These boreholes are the main water resources that supplies the region of Hassi R'mel in terms of drinking water and irrigation. Results showed that the majority of groundwater in the Hassi R'mel region is hard; where approximately 20% of boreholes are characterized by fairly soft water, and approximately 5% are characterized by very hard water.