Trends in the quality of groundwater in Bahrain with respect to salinity, 1941–1992

This study presents trends in the quality of groundwater in Bahrain with respect to salinity during the period from 1941 through 1992. The results demonstrate that the salinity of groundwater is generally elevated above 2 g/L. Beginning with 1960, the quality declined. Seawater intrusion in the aquifers occured mainly in the eastern region, where TDS values reached over 20 g/L, and saline water upflow occurred mainly in the north central area. In the period from 1986 to 1992, about 33% of the well water showed a TDS content greater than 4 g/L. Relatively, the best-quality water was found in the northwestern areas where the aquifer is directly reccarged from Saudi Arabia by underflow. This investigation presents a typical case study showing the impact of overexploitation on the quality of groundwater.