Water Quality Evaluation of Bura'a Natural Protected Area, Hodeidah, Yemen

Abstract

Water quality study carried out in Bura'a natural protected area for fifteen water samples collected from differen springs and surface water resources distributed within the study area. This study aims to evaluate the suitability of water resources for drinking purpose and also to find its suitability for agricultural uses. Physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters of water resources such as temperatue (T), Electrical Conductivity (EC), pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Na+, K+, Ca+2, Mg+2, Cl-, HCO3-2, SO4-2,NO3-1, Fe+2, F-1, PO4-2, total coliform and fecal coliform were determined. The results shows that the abundance of the major ions is as follows: Ca+2> Na+ > Mg+2 >> K+ and HCO3- > Cl- > SO4-2 >NO3-. Water classification of the study area indicate the the role of simple dissolution and weathering in the chemistry of water resources. Water resources in the study area is generally hard to very hard and considered as fresh water type with TDS less than 600 mg/l. The analytical results of physical and chemical studied samples identify a suitability of water for drinking except few samples that shows a relatively high concentration level of nitrate. Water resources in the study area have a considerable amounts from fecal coliform above the maximum permissible limits that determined from WHO and Yemeni standards fron drinking purposes. Therfore, the bacteriological parameters of water samples indicate unsuitability of studied samples for drinking. Sewage and agricultural activities are generally leading to water resources pollution in the study area which is alarming considering the use of this water for drinking. All water samples have low sodium hazard (SAR) (S1) and high salinity hazard (C3), Na% less than 40% that indicate the suitability of water resources for all types of irrigation purposes.