Quality Microbiological of Groundwater in the El Hajeb Region (Morocco): Assessment of the Faecal Germs

Biology and environment

In the region of El Hajeb (Morocco), the inadequacy of the public network for the distribution of drinking water and the persistence of drought in recent years has forced the majority of the population to resort to water from wells, boreholes and sources. However, following the presence of a dump in the surrounding area, concerns have continued to increase due to the appearance of many water-borne diseases. The aim of this work is to microbiologically characterize the groundwater in the El Hajeb region (Morocco), in order to verify its state of salubrity and to sensitize the local population on water-borne diseases. To do this, a first sampling campaign was conducted for 29 months (from May 2016 to January 2017). A total of 43 stations (wells, boreholes and sources) were selected for monthly analyzes of total coliforms, fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci. The methods of microbiological analyzes referred to the techniques for assessing the quality of water described by Rodier (1978, 2009). The results of the count of the indicator germs of faecal contamination showed high concentrations (TC max = 1933.5 CFU/100mL; FC max = 1394 CFU / 100mL; FS max = 445 CFU/100mL) which exceeded national and international standards in the majority of stations especially those located near the dump.

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