AQUIFER SUSCEPTIBILITY TO CONTAMINATION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH WATER PERMANENT PRESERVATION AREAS, IN IJU, RS.

Abstract

Groundwater, although protected by the natural environment, can also be contaminated, especially due to landfills, industrial and domestic waste, agricultural and mineral activities, among others. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the susceptibility to groundwater contamination in the municipality of Ijuí, Western Rio Grande do Sul, by using the SI (susceptibility index) method in order to evaluate hydric permanent preservation areas (hPPA). The SI was determined evaluating recharge parameters, groundwater depth, slope, aquifer material and land use. Due to the importance aquifer recharge for hPPA the main analysis was focused on this special issue. The susceptibility index indicated that 0.36% of the total area of the municipality was classified as very low susceptibility, 11.22% as low susceptibility, 50.12% as moderate to low susceptibility, 37.97% as moderate to high susceptibility and only 0, 30% high susceptibility. About 7% of the total area of the municipality was identified as PPA, and the largest proportion (3.29%) is in the moderate to high susceptibility class, while the remaining portion in the low susceptibility class. The methodological procedure used allowed to identify areas of greater susceptibility to aquifer contamination, and the importance of maintaining permanent preservation areas in the municipality of Ijuí, RS in order to keep the groundwater quantity and quality