Assessment and distribution of groundwater quality using Water Quality Index and geospatial technology in Vempalli Mandal of Andhra Pradesh, India

Globally, imperishable control of water resources plays a substantial role to ensure continual growth in regions where there is shortage of water for the needs of the society. To accomplish renewable circumstances, it is essential to identify the quality of water resources and to find the remedial measurements for improvement of water quality. The present research focuses to assess and map the spatial distribution of the quality of the groundwater of Vempalli Mandal of Cuddapah District of Andhra Pradesh using Water Quality Index and Inverse Distance Weighed (IDW) method of geospatial technologies. Water Quality Index describes universal quality of groundwater at sampling locations based on various physio-chemical parameters. It provides an excellent representation of overall quality for various purposes in the area of water management. Water samples which are collected from eighteen sampling locations were examined for several physio-chemical parameters like pH, Total Alkalinity, Total Hardness, Total Dissolved Solids, Chloride and Calcium. The Water Quality Index values of the samples ranges from 44.86 to 123.15. High index value observed at Alavalapadu due to high concentration of Total Dissolved Solids in the groundwater. From the analysis, it is suggested to treat the groundwater some extent before consumption of the same resource. Moreover, the research employs ArcGIS software to map the quality of water and to spot the spatial distribution of the area in groundwater quality.