Abstract

The present study carried out to assess the water quality and hydrogeochemistry of groundwater in the Handri river basin of
the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. Total of 41 groundwater samples was collected and analyzed for their physicochemical
parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, total hardness, total dissolved solids, total alkalinity, and major cations (Na+, K+,
Ca2+, Mg2+) and anions (Cl-,F-, NO3-, HCO3-, CO32-, SO42-). The analytical results were compared with drinking water standards
as prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards and the World Health Organization (WHO) for domestic usage and irrigation
suitability. The cation dominance trend is Na+>K+>Ca2+>Mg2+> while anion dominance trend is Cl->HCO3->NO3->SO42-.
The groundwater of the area is slightly alkaline. The major hydrochemical facies of groundwater were identified using Piper
trilinear diagram. This plot showed that most of the samples fall in the field of Na-Cl, mixed NaHCO3 type. The concentrations
of chlorides, fluorides, and nitrates are above the maximum permissible limit (WHO, 1993) while sodium, potassium, and
calcium, were slightly above the permissible limit. The USSL and Wilcox diagrams of the study area revealed that most of the
groundwater samples fall in the field of C3-S4, unsuitable indicating high salinity, high sodium percentage, and high sodium
absorption ratio. The present study concludes that the majority of the samples in the study area are not suitable for domestic and
agriculture purposes thereby, recommended to follow the effective management of groundwater resources.