The quality of groundwater in Saudi Arabia

Groundwater is the main source of water resources in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the quality of groundwater in Saudi Arabia is of utmost concern to many residents here. Let's join Karofi in exploring the quality of groundwater in this area and the solutions to this issue.

What is groundwater?

Groundwater is a type of water that is entirely distributed beneath the Earth's surface, rocks, and stones. It is water stored in the empty spaces of the soil or in the cracks of sedimentary layers of soil and rocks.

Saudi Arabia is one of the driest countries in the world, leading to water scarcity issues. The country is characterized by vast stretches of dry, hot desert terrain. The rainfall is sporadic and quickly evaporates due to high temperatures.

Only a few oases appear as islands in the desert sand. Apart from that, there are no major rivers or permanent water sources. This poses significant challenges for the people of Saudi Arabia in their daily lives.

Groundwater is a valuable resource as it is widely used for drinking, domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes.

The quality of groundwater in Saudi Arabia

Groundwater is one of the most important water sources to meet the domestic and irrigation needs in Saudi Arabia. Over the years, groundwater extraction in Saudi Arabia has reached a volume of 17 billion cubic meters per year. However, due to the low replenishment rate compared to the extraction rate, the groundwater level is steadily declining. The deep-water-bearing formations in the Arabian Peninsula, including a thick sequence from ancient to recent deposits, have developed secondary porosity covering fractured basement rocks, forming the primary groundwater source in the region.

Groundwater resources were primarily used for agriculture in the 1970s. However, with urbanization and the growth of urban and industrial areas, the already water-stressed groundwater resources in the region have become a concerning issue in terms of both quantity and quality.

Due to harsh climatic conditions in arid and semi-arid regions, groundwater salinization is a common phenomenon. The high evaporation rate due to extreme temperatures also leads to soil salinity in these areas.

Groundwater resources in some major cities in Saudi Arabia are facing serious pollution issues due to industrial wastewater discharge, agricultural fertilizer use, and domestic wastewater in the area.

The water quality of 388 wells in 6 regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has been investigated in terms of pH level, total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrite, ammonia, nitrate, and fecal coliform. The TDS concentrations varied greatly, ranging from 180 to 9350 mg/L, with an average value of 754 mg/L. Among the 388 wells, 72 wells (18.6%) exceeded the WHO's limit of 1000 mg/L. The nitrate levels varied significantly, ranging from 0.0 to 95.2 mg/L, with an average value of 20.7 mg/L. Approximately 7.7% of the tested wells had nitrate concentrations exceeding the WHO's limit of 45 mg/L, and 16% of the wells had ammonia levels greater than 0.05 mg/L. Fecal coliform was present in 21.4% of the tested well water. These results indicate that the groundwater sources in KSA are contaminated.

Due to the lack of surface water resources in KSA, groundwater has become the sole water supply in the country. However, the hidden nature of groundwater, limited accessibility, slow flow rate, and its large volume make it difficult to recover once contaminated. This emphasizes the importance of ensuring water quality.

RO water filtration technology completely eliminates harmful substances

RO water filtration technology is considered the most advanced and premium technology in the water filtration industry. Karofi has currently implemented RO technology in its products. As a result, all Karofi water purifiers have the ability to completely remove harmful substances present in water, ensuring absolute safety of the filtered water.

In addition to conventional water filtration products, Karofi has conducted research and developed a smart line of RO hot and cold water purifiers, integrating RO technology with hot and cold features. This product line offers the following outstanding advantages:

• Easy access to hot water, cold water, and purified water, meeting all the needs of the people in Saudi Arabia.
• AioTec technology enables flexible remote control, allowing easy monitoring of water quality from anywhere using just a smartphone.
• The powerful SMAX filter system provides superior high-performance: doubling the capacity and doubling the lifespan.

Through the above article, you have gained an objective view of the quality of groundwater in KSA. If you are interested in Karofi's new product lines and would like to know more detailed information, please contact us via Whatsapp at +84837748966 or visit our website: Karofiglobal.com/en.