Title : Assessment report of physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of two water sources in the souarekh region of El Kala North-East, Algeria and Its suitability for irrigation
Abstract:
The good quality of source water for the consumption by humans and other living organisms is an important element for public health. This study was conducted at _ during _ to evaluate two water sources in the region of Souarekh in the wilaya of El Tarf (Ain Siglèb and Ain Siporex) for the various physical parameters (T°, pH, EC, Salinity, TDS and Turbidity), chemical (CAT, Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+, K+, Cl- and Cl2) and pollution indicators (PO4-3, NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, BOD5 and COD). For the bacteriological analyses, the presence or absence of total and faecal coliforms, sulfuto-reducing clostridia, faecal streptococci, Salmonella, E. coli and Cholera Vibrio were determined. The results indicated that most of the physico-chemical parameters of Ain Siglèb and Ain Siporex are situated within or at the margin compared to the admissible limits of the Algerian and World Health Organization (WHO) standards for drinking water and irrigation water. Microbiologically, the results showed that the water sources studied undergo significant contamination by total coliforms, faecal coliforms, streptococci and clostridium in Ain Siglèb compared to that of Ain Siporex. In recent years, much research has focused on the study of groundwater and the quality of surface water resources. This work adds to other works and deals with the physico-chemistry and the bacteriological quality of spring water taken from the sub-basin in the region of El Tarf. These, mainly agricultural region is located in the northeast of Algeria. The surface waters studied are of good quality for agriculture and suitable for the irrigation of most crops, but attention must be paid to leaching, which is difficult in soils with low permeability, and to drainage. These need special attention due to extreme climate change and increased pollution.
Keywords: Ain Siglèb, Ain Siporex, bacteriology, physico-chemical parameters, water quality.
Audience Take Away:
- Currently, water quality is under great pressure from population growth and industrial activity. Deterioration of the quality of water resources is as great a threat as the quantitative disequilibrium. Anthropogenic activities are the most cause of problems pollution in water resources. Contamination of surface waters by pathogens is a pollution problem that goes back a long way.
- In Algeria, water is an increasingly precious resource. The competition between agriculture, industry and the EPA for access to limited water supplies is already putting a strain on the country’s development efforts. For several decades, in Algeria, animal, agricultural, industrial and domestic dejections have contributed, more and more to rivers and groundwater pollution than elsewhere.
- The wilaya of El Tarf is recognized at the regional and even national level by its diversity of these sources. But, the problem is that the majority of these sources are not usable because of poor management. Those in charge in this field continue to make drillings while the source waters run away on the surface or are rejected in the rivers or are used for washing cars. In addition to that, they are not protected against polluting agents.
- In this context, the objective of this study is to evaluate for the first time the quality of raw water of two sources (Ain Siglèb and Ain Siporex) located in the region of Souarekh (El Tarf) by the determination of its physicochemical and bacteriological characteristics.
