REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON GROUND

WATER PROTECTION 20 – 22 /11/ 2006

TRIPOLI - LIBYA
 )Case Study: TAZERBO WELLFIELD(

By

Prof . Dr. Farag .A. El- Mabrouk

&
Dr. Naser IM. Sahli
The GMRP was launched in 1983, aiming to transport 6.5
million cubic meters of water per day from the desert
wellfields to the coastal zone.
The GMRP includes 6 water supply systems as listed below
(Figure 1):
Sarir- Sirt, Tazerbo- Benghazi System (SSBT), (phase 1)
Hasouna- Jefara system, (phase 2).
Sirt/Sedada System, (phase 3).
Kufra/ Tazerbo System, (phase 4).
Jiagboub/ Tobruk system, (phase 5).
The Gedammes/ Zwara system, (phase 6).
Figure 1
 Characteristics of GMRP Systems
Conveyance Design No. of Wellfields System
System Production Wells
Km 1600 MCMD 1.0 126 Sarir Sarir/Sirt.1
Km 1600 MCMD 1.0 108 Tazerbo Tazerbo/ Benghazi

Km 2600 90 NEJH(S) Hasouna- Jeffara .2

MCMD 2.5 78 NEJH(N)
160 EJH(W)
156 EJH(E)
Km 190 - - - Sirt/Sedada Link.3

Km 750 MCMD 1.68 286 Kufra Kufra/Tazerbo .4

Km 550 MCMY 50 37 Jiagboub Jiagboub/Tobruk .5

Km 560 MCMY 90 144 Gedammes Gedammes/Zwaa.6

MCMD: million Cubic meters of water per day

.MCMY: million Cubic meters of water per year
 Location
The Tazerbo Wellfield is situated in south eastern Libya,
.Figure 2

It is located in a flat desert area at the southern limit of the

.Sarir plain and covers an area of 1000 square kilometers

The Tazerbo Wellfield lies along the south - west north –

east alignment of the southern flank of the Hercynian
uplifts which forms the boundary Separating the Kufra
.and Sirt basins
Figure 2 Tazerbo Wellfield and layout of GMRP

Hasouna
Wellfields

TAZERBO
Wellfield
 WATER
QUALITY OF
THE TAZERBO
WELLFIELD
 Field Measurements
Parameters measured, Table1 , which include:

* Water temperature.

* pH value.

* Dissolved Oxygen.

* Dissolved Carbon Dioxide.

* Hydrogen Sulphide.
Table 1 Statistical Analysis of Field Measurement, Tazerbo
Wellfield

H2S CO2 D.O Temp Statistical

pH
mg/L mg/L CO2 mg/L O2 oC Parameters

0.052 56.6 1.6 7.2 35.5 Max

0.0 11.8 0.0 5.9 27.2 Min
0.01 32.56 0.20 6.48 32.31 Mean

0.01 30.60 0.10 6.44 32.60 Median

0.007 8.92 0.33 0.26 1.72 SD

60.701 27.38 164.03 3.96 5.32 CV %

108 108 108 108 108 N

Note: SD = Standard Deviation, %CV = Percentage Coefficient of Variation and

.N = Number of Well
 Physical and General Parameters

Samples collected from the Tazerbo Wellfields have been sent

for analysis to GMRA Central Laboratory in Benghazi, Table
.2
:Parameters analysis include
.Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) *
.Electrical Conductivity (EC) *
.Oxidation – Reduction Potential (ORP) *
.Total Hardness *
.Total Alkalinity *
 Table 2 Statistical Analysis of Physical and General
Parameters, Tazerbo Wellfield

Total Alkalinity Total Hardness ORP EC TDS Statistical

mg/L as CaCO3 mg/L as CaCO3 mv µS/cm mg/L Parameters

155 97 15- 486 231 Max

90 61 226- 221 210 Min

119 75 89- 319 270 Mean

118 75 85- 308 247 Median

17 6.38 40 53 199 SD

15 8 45- 17 74 CV %
108 108 108 108 108 N
Note: SD = Standard Deviation, %CV = Percentage Coefficient of Variation and
. N = Number of wells
 Major Cations and Anions

Samples collected from the Tazerbo Wellfields have been

.sent for analysis to GMRA Central Laboratory in Benghazi

: The Cations
Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, Potassium

: The Anions include

,Bicarbonate, Carbonate, Chloride, Sulphate

Nitrate and Silicate
 Table 3 Stastical Analysis of the Cations and Anions
Tazerbo Wellfield
Sstatist-
Mg
SO4 CL CO3 K Na Ca ical
SiO2 NO3 HCO3
mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L Parame-
mg/L mg/L mg/L mg/L
ters
14.1 3.9 26.3 20.5 0.2 189.0 36.7 24.1 17.8 14.3 Max
11.5 0.0 6.6 6.3 0.0 109.7 19.5 9.9 10.8 4.0 Min

12.76 0.05 13.70 10.64 0.04 145.69 28.95 14.24 12.81 9.10 Mean

12.80 0.00 12.35 9.60 0.03 143.66 30.58 13.00 12.84 9.05 Median

0.52 0.39 4.95 3.17 0.03 21.37 3.80 3.58 0.87 2.48 SD
840.1 27.2
4.08 36.11 29.78 89.24 14.67 13.12 25.14 6.76 % CV
7 7
108 108 108 108 108 108 108 108 108 108 N
Note: SD = Standard Deviation, %CV = Percentage
Coefficient of Variation and N = Number of wells
.Chemical Indicators of Corrosion and Water Aggressivity

)Saturation Indices and Corrosion Indices(

Several indices were used to indicate the potential of

Tazerbo Wellfield water to cause corrosion or to
precipitate incrustating deposits on wells pumps and
.pipelines

The calculated indices are presented in Table 4 as

.statistical analysis
 Chemical Indicator of Corrosion and Water
Aggressivity.

The determination of saturation indices of Tazerbo

wellfield water with respect to calcium carbonate has been
done using indices such as Langelier Index (LI), Ryznar
Index (RI) and Merrill and Sanks, 1977 CCPP (Calcium
carbonate precipitation potential), Table 4.

The corrosion property of Tazerbo Wellfield water has

been calculated using corrosion indices such as the
Chloride Corrosion Index (CCI), Corrosivity Index (Cor. I)
and Driving Force Index (DFI), Table 4.
 Table 4 Statistical Analysis of the Chemical Indicators of Corrosion and
Water Aggressivity
Chloride Langelier
Corrosion CCPP Ryznar Statistical
Corrosion Index pHs pH
Index mg/L Index RI Parameters
Index LI

3.2 0.39 31.47- 10.79 1.36- 8.65 7.16 Max

Min
1.56 0.1 230.7- 9.41 2.27- 8.01 5.92

Mean
2.48 0.22 101.9- 10.07 1.8- 8.28 6.48

Median
2.51 0.19 101.9- 10.08 1.81- 8.25 6.44

SD
0.37 0.09 40.99 0.3 0.24 0.15 0.26

14.95 42.79 40.23- 2.97 13.09- 1.81 3.96 CV %

108 108 108 108 108 108 108 N

SD =Standard Deviation, %CV = Percentage Coefficient of Variation and n is

number and N =Number of wells

 CONCLUSION
•Water type for the Tazerbo Wellfield is sodium
bicarbonate
•These difference concentration of ions in the
•Tazerbo can be explained by a mixing effect of the
groundwater as it moves within the
aquifer.
•Tazerbo Wellfield water is a soft water.
•Tazerbo Wellfield water is characterized by
• reducing conditions with almost all wells
• having a negative oxidation reduction
• potential (ORP).
•Variation in the sulphate concentration is likely due to
reducing conditions.
•The determination of several indices used to indicate
the potential of Tazerbo Wellfield water have showed
that it is aggressive to the cementation materials of the
GMRP pipeline.

•Tazerbo Wellfield water meet the WHO

Guidelines for drinking water standards,
with the exception of iron, manganese
and potassium.

• The iron concentration is seven times

higher than the admissible levels of
the WHO.
• The manganese concentration is double the
admissible level for WHO guideline.

• The average concentration of potassium is

28.95 mg/l which is considered to be
high, although of no great consequence for
water quality.

• In conclusion, The water has been treated

for remove iron, CO2 and manganese before
delivery to the consumer.

• Considering agricultural use for the Tazerbo

Wellfields water, it is suitability for irrigation
according to the international standers.
 ‫شكراً لكم‬
Thank you