CONDITIONING FACTORS IN THE QUALITY AND LEVEL VARIATION OF GROUNDWATER IN MERUOCA MUNICIPALITY, CEARÁ (BRASIL)

This work describes the Meruoca’s water supply and discusses the factors that have influenced thequantity and quality of groundwater. Four hydrogeological situations in the area were considered: alteration mantle andfractured crystalline rocks, whose structure is good to storage water; no fractured crystalline rocks, represented bygranites and volcanic rocks, that aren’t good to storage water. The Meruoca’s groundwater supply is achieved mainly bydug wells (87%), followed tube wells (9%) and natural sources (4%). Dug wells water levels were monitored during 3years and was verified that the water table changes from 1.0 m up to 6,0 m. Was observed that the water level in the dugwells has immediate response during the rain, attesting the condition of an unconfined aquifer. Nine samples werecollected to complete chemical analysis and eighteen (18) samples to partial analyses, including the nitrogenous seriescompounds (NH4, NO2 e NO3). The chemical results indicated Na-HCO3 and Na-Cl water type. The quality of water isgood to human supply, in most of the cases.