International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN (Online): 2319-7064 Impact Factor (2012): 3.358 Volume 3 Issue 10, October 2014 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Groundwater Quality Assessment of Industrial Zone of Faisalabad Using Geographic Information System Muhammad Salman Nasir 1 , Abid Sarwar 2 , Imran Shaukat 3 1, 3 Department of Structures and Environmental Engineering, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan 2 Department of Irrigation and Drainage, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan Abstract: Water is the basic element of social and economic infrastructure and is essential for healthy society and sustainable development. Groundwater is the favorite alternative is facing threats due to anthropogenic activities in Pakistan, which has lead due to deterioration in groundwater quality. Hence monitoring of ground water quality has become indispensable. In this study ground water quality analysis was carried out for industrial zone of Faisalabad city. Sixty water samples were collected all around the zone. The strategically analyzed results are presented in GIS based water quality mapping.The collected samples were analyzed for physio-chemical parameters such as total hardness, alkalinity,cadmium, arsenic, nickel, lead and fluoride and the results were compared with WHO guidelines. The values of these results were represented by mapping of quality parameters using ArcView GIS v9.3 and IDW was used for raster interpolation.It was concluded that water is partially not fit for drinking and direct use of this groundwater may cause health issues. Keywords: Groundwater, parameters, GIS, IDW, Contamination, Interpolation 1. Introduction Water covers almost 70.9% of the surface of earth, and is essential for all forms of life. On earth, it exists in oceans and other huge water bodies, with 1.6% of this water under ground in aquifers and 0.001% of water in the air in the form of vapors, clouds and precipitation. Oceans contain 97% of water on surface, 2.4% glaciers and polar ice caps and 0.6% other surface water such as rivers, lakes and ponds [1]. Water is the elixir of life [2] and plays a vital role in the earth’s ecosystem. It is one of the most critical, scarce, precious and replenishable natural resource which cannot be created [3]. Groundwater serves as the main sources of water in the urban environment, which is used for drinking, industrial and domestic purposes and often, it is over exploited. Rapid industrialization, improper solid and toxic waste management practices in urban areas often lead to the degradation of groundwater, which then turns potable for future use. Ground water pollution not only affects the water quality but also threats human health, economic development and social prosperity [4]. Water quality of main cities of Pakistan like Sialkot, Gujarat,Faisalabad, Karachi, Qasur, Peshawar, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Shekhupura deteriorates due to the uncontrolled disposal of urban wastewater and untreated industrial and excessive use of fertilizers and insecticides [5]. These industrial effluents have leached down from the drain and pollute the groundwater [6].Groundwater is the major source of drinking and industrial water use. In several cities, the level of groundwater is lowered due to the increased pressure on groundwater. Water table has dropped more than ten meters in several areas. Therefore, the quality of groundwater is also influenced by the continuous use of groundwater [7].Low-level trace-element data are necessary forwater-quality monitoring programs because of theincrease in understanding of the health risk tochildren and developing fetuses associated withsmall amounts of contaminants, such as mercury [8] lead, cadmium, and arsenic. The purpose of the present study is to estimate the groundwater quality in the industrial zoneand thematically represent it using Geographic Information System (GIS) for understanding of the present scenario at a glance. It offers great opportunities for the simulation of groundwater mapping [9]. GIS can be used as a powerful tool for developing solutions for water resources problems for assessing water quality, determining water availability, preventing flooding, understanding the natural environment, and managing water resources on a local or regional scale [10, 11] 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Study Area The area of industrial zone of Faisalabad city was selected for this study with the criteria that industrial drains passes through the area which are expected to be the main source of contamination. Paper ID: OCT14698 2016