Effects on Groundwater Quality of the Urban Area of Puebla Aquifer

Groundwater is the most important source for water supply in the urban zone of Puebla. Economic and industrial growth has caused a high demand for water. Intense extraction of groundwater has led to a significant decline in groundwater levels and degradation of quality. This study aimed to define the groundwater quality with the assessment of the hydrochemical changes produced by intensive water exploitation in the urban area of Puebla City. A general decline in the groundwater level has been found over the years, at a rate of as much as 1–2 m/y. Two ground fissures were identified in the same location as the drawdown cone. An evolution in the chemical composition and a change in the water-type classification were observed over the years. The increase of sulfates, calcium, and magnesium concentrations in the upper aquifer has been caused by upwelling mineralized water from the deep aquifer, where the hydraulic gradient of the groundwater table levels favors the induction of the flow-through of the fault and geological fracture and mixes with water from the upper aquifer. Concentrations above the limits recommended by the criteria established for Mexican law of trace elements and heavy metals were detected for the first time, and their origin can be attributed to natural and anthropogenic sources.