Evaluation of Groundwater in the Kabul Area
In both domestic and international arenas, it is the mission of the USGS to develop the data and the understanding necessary for the wise management of natural resources including water resources. The Afghanistan Geological Survey has a similar mission in its homeland. Ministries have lacked equipment and personnel trained in modern hydrologic techniques, and much historic data have been lost. The objective of this subtask has been to evaluate the ground-water resources and its water quality in the Kabul area.
The focus of the collaborative effort between the Afghanistan Geological Survey and the USGS during the first 6 months has been on capacity building, in the form of training, procurement of equipment, and the application of these tools to build an inventory of water wells in the Kabul basin. Training and equipment are being provided in computer science, data base management, geographic information systems, geographic positioning systems, field hydrogeology, and water quality. As of May 2005 over 150 wells in the Kabul basin have been inventoried. In most of these wells, water levels have been measured, and water samples have been collected and analyzed for physical, chemical, and microbiological properties. A report documents the initial progress of this work (Broshears and others, 2005). The report, "Inventory of Ground-Water Resources in the Kabul Basin, Afghanistan," USGS Scientific Investigations Report 2005-5090 is available at http://pubs.water.usgs.gov/sir2005-5090.
The initial findings are that the quality of ground water in the Kabul basin varies widely. In some areas ground-water quality is excellent, with low concentrations of dissolved solids (less than 500 mg/L) and no problematic constituents. In other areas, however, increased dissolved solids and the presence of some constituents at concentrations deemed harmful to humans and crops render untreated ground water marginal or unsuitable for public supply and/or agricultural use. Of particular concern are elevated concentrations of nitrate, boron, and dissolved solids, and an indication of fecal pollution in some parts of the basin. Nitrate concentration exceeds the USEPA drinking-water standard of 10 mg/L as N in 14 of 108 samples. Boron concentration exceeds 1000 mg/L in 31 of 108 samples. The concentration of dissolved solids exceeds 500 mg/L in 58 of 107 samples. E. coli is present in 24 of 108 samples.
As Afghanistan emerges from years of conflict, as institutional capacities rejuvenate and grow, and as the need for wise water-management decisions continues, adequate data and a fuller understanding of the ground-water resource in the Kabul basin will be imperative. The work described in this report represents only a modest beginning in what will be a long-term data collection and interpretive effort. This effort will include construction of a network of wells for periodic measurement of water levels and water quality. Geophysical tools will be applied to develop a better understanding of how geologic structure controls ground-water flow in the basin. Finally, all aspects of the hydrologic work eventually will be expressed in a ground-water flow model that can be used to explore scenarios for development of the ground-water resource.
Each day has brought us closer to our Afghan colleagues, sharing food and laughter, science and photographs, a synergism of imagination toward a peaceful and progressive future for this country so overwhelmed with tragedy.
-Letter from Afghanistan, August 1, 2004
