Monitoring of groundwater salination by seawater intrusion on the Lebanese coast

ABSTRACT

In order to monitor the effects of the seawater intrusion on the groundwater quality, the coastal region from Choueifat to Rmeyle located south Mount - Lebanon had been chosen to be studied. Six wells have been selected. Water samples have been collected for a period of three years from 1999 to 2002, at the rate of one sample a month. A complete physico-chemical analysis has been done in order to measure the increase in salinity as well as the variation in piezometric level. The results obtained from the study showed that the regions of Choueifat, Jiye and Rmeyle are subject to seawater intrusion. This intrusion is directly and simultaneously related to the pumping period and intensity but poorly related to the amount of rainfall. It also depends on the geologic nature of the study area. Furthermore, the actual intrusion in the study zone aggravates the existing salinity problems. Indeed the salinity rates of well water ranged between 0.7 dS/m and 5.5 dS/m [the majority being above 2 dS/m] resulting in salinity rates not tolerable for crops, thus threatening their growth and production