Assessment of Groundwater Quality Parameters Using Multivariate Statistics- A Case Study of Majmaah, KSA

This paper aims at evaluating the groundwater quality parameters at part of Majmaah City, Saudi Arabia. The study uses multivariate statistics methods (Principal Component Analysis, PCA and/or Factor Analysis, FA) to determine the most important water quality parameters at the study area, aiming at introducing an environmental assessment of its current situation. Water quality parameters that showed levels above the standards would be spotted and reasons behind this contamination will be investigated. Real data are collected from 15 groundwater wells near farms part in Gewy area. The results of the water analysis data were subjected to intensive statistical tests and interpretations ware made in the highlight of physical factors. The paper also introduces a cost effective methodology to minimize the number of water quality parameters to the most important variables based on the multivariate statistical results. The interrelationship between different water quality parameters at the study area was also investigated. Moreover, Geostatistics techniques and GPS data, for the same wells, were utilized for characterization of some water quality parameters in 2D and results are introduced in the form of contour maps and 3D representation of these variables. The obtained results are presented as environmental maps for the water quality parameters at the study area and give, for the first time, a characterization of the water quality at the selected portion of Majmaah city.