The Coastal Springs of Southern Kerala, SW India – Hydrology and Water Quality Assessment

Abstract

Spring water is a reliable source of potable water in many parts of the world. Uplifted coasts of the Southern Kerala host many high yielding cold water springs which emerge from the sand - clay interface of the Neogene outcrops. Lack of adequate studies on the hydrological and water quality aspects of these springs is challenging the wise use and management of these springs. Therefore, an attempt has been made to map the locations and study the water quality of the free-falling type of springs emerging from the Neogene outcrops exposed on the cliffed coasts of Southern Kerala, especially falling within the jurisdiction of Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. A total of 31 springs from four distinct geomorphic settings has been located in our survey conducted in 2008–2009 period. But, our recent survey carried out in March 2017 revealed that about 10 % of the springs were dried out due to various reasons. The total spring water discharge during 2017 was about 450 liters/minute against the total discharge of 800 liters/minute in 2007–08 period. In general, the hydrochemistry of spring waters is dominated by alkali and strong acids, i.e. alkali-chloride type. Most of the hydrochemical parameters exhibit a great degree of seasonal and spatial variations and are well within the permissible limits (with the exception of pH) for all four groups of springs. The low mineral contents may be attributed to minimal weathering from silicate-rich rocks and insignificant leaching from soil due to infiltration from anthropogenic activities. The spring water quality in all the four groups of the study area is bacteriologically contaminated and therefore proper disinfection is required before human consumption. Most of the spring water samples are classified to be “excellent to good” for irrigation and is not expected to cause any salinity hazard.