Groundwater quality assessment of Northwestern Algeria using water quality index (WQI)

What is it about?

The present paper aims at determining the status and trends of groundwater quality of 12 aquifers situated in Northwestern Algeria, especially under conditions of the last drought that has affected the region using water quality index (WQI) over a period of 4 years. Multivariate statistical methods have been used jointly with conventional graphical methods to classify the samples according to plausible levels of groundwater evolution.

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Photo by Haneen Krimly on Unsplash

Photo by Haneen Krimly on Unsplash

Why is it important?

In the last two decades, Northwestern Algeria in particular, has experienced severe and persistent droughts with annual rainfall some 30 percent below average (Meddi and Hubert 2003; Touchan et al. 2008; Masih et al. 2014); this has affected remarkably the availability of water and overall socioeconomic activities. Silting of dams is another factor that strongly affects water resources in the region, and there are currently ten large dams, some of which are currently facing a high rate of siltation; Fergoug and Bouhanifia dams are silted over 90% and 50%, respectively. The water quality problem is another factor that affects the availability of water resources in Northwestern Algeria. Studies show that there is a significant amount of wastewater that continues to spread into the environment without treatment. Some 73 MCM/year of effluents is discharged untreated into the receptor environment, and this contributes to worrying levels of pollution both for surface water and for alluvial groundwater.

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