Hydrochemical Characterization and Water Quality Assessment for Drinking and Irrigation Purposes Using WQI and GIS Techniques in the Upper Omo River Basin, Southern Ethiopia

Groundwater in the Upper Omo River Basin, Southern Ethiopia, is predominantly suitable for drinking and irrigation, though urban expansion and extensive irrigation threaten its quality. A study analyzing 58 water samples identified three water quality index (WQI) zones: excellent (58.82%), good (35.29%), and poor (5.88%). Hydrochemical analysis revealed five water types, with most meeting WHO and Ethiopian drinking standards, except for a few parameters. Irrigation suitability was generally high, except in three samples. The research employed WQI, Piper diagram plots, and GIS techniques to assess water quality, highlighting the importance of these methods for sustainable water management.

Tesema, A., Jothimani, M., Abebe, A., Gunalan, J., Getahun, E., & Karuppannan, S. (2023). Hydrochemical Characterization and Water Quality Assessment for Drinking and Irrigation Purposes Using WQI and GIS Techniques in the Upper Omo River Basin, Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Chemistry, 2023, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/3246851