Assessment of drainage water quality for caco3 precipitation using saturation index

Calcium carbonate accumulation is a major influence in semiarid soils. As it accumulates over time in soils, systematic morphological changes occur in the calcic horizons affecting the way water infiltrates the soil profile. A field experiment was conducted in Biosoil Park in Ahmadi, Kuwait, to assess the tendency of CaCC 3 dissolution or precipitation. The fresh, brackish, irrigation and drainage waters were collected from bioremediated and agricultural soils to calculate the Saturation Indices of these samples. The +ve values of Langelier Index of all the waters, except fresh water in November, indicated that CaC03 precipitated. It was also found that the drainage waters have the highest tendency of CaC03 precipitation. The drainage water from a bioremediated soil plot had a higher CaCC 3 precipitation tendency than the drainage water from agricultural soil plots. It is recommended that drainage waters be reused for irrigation by mixing with fresh water or use a cycle of drainage and fresh water to minimize the precipitation capacity.