ASSESSMENT OF MICROBIAL CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER IN OUALIDIA AREA, MOROCCO

Abstract

Analysis of the water used for drinking and agriculture is important to control the microbiological water quality. The presence of several fecal bacteria indicates water pollution and its health risk. Simples of 63 wells are analyzed with (32 wells in Douar Bakir, 23 wells Douar Ouled Lahlal, 4 wells in Dour Ouled Youssef, 1 well in Dour El Kahia and 6 sampling waters of the lagoon) by standardized methods for seven indicators. The principal component analysis is used to determine zones which have most high rate in contamination. The results show that the proportion is for viable microorganisms that are present in excess of the standard 95 % of the samples followed by total coliforms (92%), anaerobic sulfite reducing (78%), thermo tolerant coliforms (68%), E. coli (54%), enterococci (68%) and the presence of salmonella in a single well (4 CFU/51) .The principal components analysis (PCA) shows many wells which have high rate of contamination by zone.Our results indicate that the water of groundwater of Oualidia area is not suitable for drinking water in totality and agriculture uses in many wells according the Moroccan standard NM 03.7.001.