This study suggests a method to grade groundwater quality quantitatively using statistical approaches for evaluating the quality of groundwater in wells included in the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network (GQMN). The proposed analysis method is applied to GQMN data from 2001 to 2008 for nitrate nitrogen, chloride, trichloroethylene, potential of hydrogen (pH), and electrical conductivity. The analysis results are obtained as groundwater quality grades of the groundwater representing each of the monitoring stations. The degree of groundwater contamination is analysed for water quality parameters, district, and usage. The results show that the degree of groundwater contamination is relatively high by nitrate nitrogen, bacteria and electrical conductivity and at Seoul, Incheon, Gwangju, Gyeonggido and Jeollado. The degree of contamination by nitrate nitrogen and trichloroethylene is especially high when the groundwater is used for agricultural and industrial water, respectively. It is evaluated that potable groudnwater in GQMN is significantly vulnerable to nitrate nitrogen and bacteria contamination.

Keywords: Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network;Statistical approach;Groundwater quality grade;Degree of contamination;