American Journal of Civil Engineering 2013; 1(2): 49-57 Published online August 30, 2013 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ajce) doi: 10.11648/j.ajce.20130102.11 Observation of location of ground water level in the south-east part of Bangladesh Bulbul Ahmed 1 , Ashish Kumer Saha 2 , Most Tasrima Sultana 1 , H. M. Rasel 1 1 Department of Civil Engineering, Rajshahi University of Engineering & Technology (RUET), Rajshahi, Bangladesh 2 Department of Civil Engineering, Pabna University of Science & Technology (PUST), Pabna, Bangladesh Email address: bulbulruet@gmail.com (B. Ahmed), ashish_ruet_bd@yahoo.com (A. K. Saha), dipty_ce05@yahoo.com (M. T. Sultana), hmrruet@gmail.com(H. M. Rasel) To cite this article: Bulbul Ahmed, Ashish Kumer Saha, Most Tasrima Sultana, H. M. Rasel. Observation of Location of Ground Water Level in the South-East Part of Bangladesh. American Journal of Civil Engineering. Vol. 1, No. 2, 2013, pp. 49-57. doi: 10.11648/j.ajce.20130102.11 Abstract: Ground water forms the major portion of earth’s fresh water source and it is almost safe to drink. Depletion of ground water table due to continuous pumping causing scarcity of water in the city area of Bangladesh. So information about ground water table is required for future recommendation of ground water supply to general people. For the investigation purpose, depth of water table has been determined in three seasons with respect to mean sea level. Among 41 wards of Chittagong City, 18 wards have been selected for this purpose where depth of water table is measured from the shallow tube well. The present investigation includes field investigation for locating of tube well in Chittagong City Corporation area with the aim of measuring water level from ground surface. Seasonal variation of the water level has also been determined with respect to man sea level. Water collected from the well has been evaluated in the laboratory for determining quality of water. From the investigation, it has been established that, water table with respect to mean sea level is different at different wards. Seasonal variation has been observed due to lowering of water table and it has been found that water table is minimum at drought season. Keywords: Ground Water, Depletion of Ground Water, Sea Level, Seasonal Variation, Quality Water, Drought 1. Introduction Ground water forms the major portion of earth’s fresh water supply. About 97% of the earth’s fresh water supply is stored in the underground formation with the increase in population, the demand for water system is essential to meet the increasing demand for water is also increasing throughout the world. Effective management of ground water system in essential to meet the increasing demand for water. Ground water can be used as a reliable source of water supply irrespective of the climate. In the monsoon areas of South-East Asia, ground water way becomes an important source of supply especially for irrigation purposes in the dry months. 94% of all the water-works use ground water and they supply 77% of the total water consumed. Ground water is a vital source of water supply, especially in area where dry summers or extended droughts cause stream flow to stop water from the surface streams is the main source of recharge for the ground water (Aziz, 1975). 1.1. Ground Water Ground water is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock become completely saturated with water is called the water table. Groundwater is recharged from and eventually flows to the surface naturally, natural discharge often occurs at springs and seeps, a can form oases or wetlands. Ground water is also often withdrawn for agricultural, municipal & industrial use by constructing & operating extraction wells. The study of the distribution and movement of ground water is hydrogeology, also called ground water hydrology. 1.2. Ground Water Situation in Bangladesh Ground water is a vital source of water supply for Bangladesh. Bangladesh is almost entirely underlain by water-bearing formations at depths varying from zero to 20 m below ground surface. The soil is mostly stratified and