Assessment of medium mountain groundwater for consumption and irrigation using quality index method: application to the Bokoya Massif (Central Rif, Northern Morocco)

• Published in: Arabian journal of geosciences Vol. 14; no. 4
• Main Authors: Bouaissa, Mohamed, Ghalit, Mohammad, Taupin, Jean Denis, Patris, Nicolas, Khattabi, Jamal El, Gharibi, Elkhadir
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.02.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural development; Consumption; Context; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Exploitation; Geography; Groundwater; Groundwater irrigation; Groundwater quality; Irrigation; Management services; Massifs; Mountains; Original Paper; Physicochemical processes; Quality assessment; Resource management; Rural areas; Total dissolved solids; Water hardness; Water management; Water quality; Water resources; Water scarcity; Water springs; Water supply; Morocco; Irrigation; Wilcox’s classification; Groundwater; Morocco; Water quality index; Bokoya
• ISSN: 1866-7511; 1866-7538
• DOI: 10.1007/s12517-021-06592-8

The exploitation of groundwater has constantly been the ideal solution to cope with water resource scarcity, especially in rural areas. However, the use of groundwater of uncontrolled chemical or bacteriological quality can cause major problems for human health and for irrigated cultures. In this study, groundwater quality indices for drinking (GWQID) and irrigation purposes (GWQII) were used to assess the groundwater quality of the Bokoya Massif, in the north of Morocco. A comparison was made with other water quality indicators such as total hardness-total dissolved solids, and Richards and Wilcox diagrams. A series of 96 samples, distributed between wells and springs, were collected during April 2018 and analyzed for 12 physicochemical parameters, which were used to calculate the two quality indices GWQID and GWQII. The results obtained with the GWQID index showed that 43 samples are of a quality ranging from permissible to excellent, whereas 53 samples are not good enough for drinking purposes. The TDS-TH index indicated that 44 samples are suitable for consumption. The GWQII, Wilcox’s classification, and Richards diagram showed that about one half of the wells or springs investigated can be utilized for irrigation purposes. In a context marked by both insufficient drinking water supplies and adverse conditions for agricultural development, these results allow to determine the quality of water with simple indices adapted to the specific climate, geography, and geological context, useful for directing water management services towards potentially exploitable resources in terms of consumption and irrigation.