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Volume 13 | Issue 5 | Year 2026 | Article Id. IJCE-V13I5P119 | DOI : https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V13I5P119

Assessment of Groundwater Potential and Quality in Erode Taluk through Electrical Resistivity Sounding, Water Quality Index, and Multivariate Statistical Analysis

Darshan Mehta, Ravi Ande, Utkarsh Nigam, Chaitali Bhavsar, Akshay Rathod, Prashant Sunagar

Received Revised Accepted Published
10 Feb 2026 25 Mar 2026 29 Apr 2026 29 May 2026

Citation :

Darshan Mehta, Ravi Ande, Utkarsh Nigam, Chaitali Bhavsar, Akshay Rathod, Prashant Sunagar, "Assessment of Groundwater Potential and Quality in Erode Taluk through Electrical Resistivity Sounding, Water Quality Index, and Multivariate Statistical Analysis," International Journal of Civil Engineering, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 284-308, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488352/IJCE-V13I5P119

Abstract

Groundwater samples collected from open wells and bore wells in Erode Taluk, Erode District, South India, were analyzed to evaluate the spatio-temporal variations in hydrochemistry and overall groundwater quality. A total of 103 groundwater samples were obtained over an eleven-year period (January 2014 to December 2024) from sampling locations situated along the Cauvery River, approximately 100 km east of Coimbatore. The samples were examined for a comprehensive suite of physicochemical parameters, including pH, EC, TDS, TH, major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺), major anions (HCO₃⁻, CO₃²⁻, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, F⁻), and trace metals (Fe, Mn, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Hg). Premonsoon pH values indicated groundwater conditions ranging from slightly acidic to alkaline. The dominant ionic abundance followed the order Na⁺ > Ca²⁺ > Mg²⁺ > K⁺ and HCO₃⁻ > Cl⁻ > SO₄²⁻ > CO₃²⁻, reflecting the prevailing geochemical processes within the aquifer system. Water Quality Index (WQI) analysis demonstrated that most groundwater samples fell within the “Excellent to Good” category. Regression analysis between WQI and selected parameters yielded strong correlations, with coefficients of determination (R²) of 0.82 for the premonsoon and 0.92 for the postmonsoon seasons, indicating pronounced seasonal influences on groundwater quality. Rainfall analysis revealed that the Northeast (NE) monsoon contributes the highest share of annual rainfall (49.39%), followed by the Southwest (SW) monsoon (28.54%) and the premonsoon period (21.41%), while the postmonsoon season accounts for less than 0.65%. The average NE monsoon rainfall (373.55 mm) was significantly higher than that of the SW monsoon (222.37 mm). Ten-year rainfall trends showed higher precipitation during 2014–2016, followed by a declining trend from 2018 to 2024. Seasonal groundwater level analysis indicated variations ranging from 3.39–7.76 m during the postmonsoon, 3.85–7.61 m during the premonsoon, 4.48–7.07 m during the SW monsoon, and 3.50–6.24 m during the NE monsoon. The annual groundwater level fluctuation ranged from a minimum of 4.14 m in 2022 to a maximum of 7.04 m in 2015. In addition, multivariate statistical methods, including factor analysis and cluster analysis, were employed to support the interpretation of hydrochemical processes and the evolution of groundwater quality within the study area.

Keywords

Groundwater Quality, Hydrochemistry, pH, Regression Analysis, Seasonal Variation, Water Quality Index.

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