Spatial and temporal variation of hydrogeochemical properties of Kumluca (Antalya) coastal aquifer

Access to clean water is not as easy as before due to reasons such as the recent drought problem, agriculture being carried out in summer and winter, and the increase in construction and industrialization activities parallel to the increase in population. This situation causes even greater problems in important agricultural areas such as the Kumluca Plain in the Kumluca District of Antalya. The need for irrigation water for agriculture, which is the main source of income for the people of the region, is met from the surface and groundwater of the region. This situation causes changes in both the qualitative and quantitative properties of water. For this reason, the need to update the hydrogeochemical studies conducted in the region has arisen. First of all, the chemical analysis results of 7 observation wells in the study area for October 2020, April - October 2021, April 2022 and the water level data of 9 drilling points measured regularly every month since January 2019 were compiled from the DSI XIIIth Regional Directorate. Afterwards, in March 2024, on-site measurements were made at 8 points with the Combo Water Quality Meter 86031 model water quality measuring device, water samples were taken and heavy metal analyzes were performed with the XRF device. As a result of the studies, it was determined that all of the waters were basic in character, soft and very hard, magnesium bicarbonate type waters, generally with ordinary chloride, ordinary sulphate and ordinary carbonate, and could be used in agriculture. However; in this coastal aquifer where rock-water interaction is intense, some anomalies in hydrogeochemical data indicate intensive agricultural activities and salt water intrusion in the coastal area.