Quality control of surface water of Mexa dam and its suitability for irrigation (El Tarf region)
Abstract
A. Bergal*, W. Boumaraf, A. Delimi and D.E. Benouareth
Water is a natural element essential to life; it is a necessary wealth for any human activity. With the aim of seeing the aptitude of the water of Mexa dam North East Algerian, we carried out the present study. In order to evaluate its aptitude to ensure certain natural functions and the supply of drinking water, irrigation and industry, we carried out a physico-chemical and bacteriological analysis of the waters of the basin the year 2020.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of the water in the Mexa dam. Three sampling stations were selected over two months to determine the physicochemical and bacteriological parameters of the water. Some physicochemical parameters and heavy metal concentrations were analyzed in water samples (T, pH, EC, TDS, DO, Salinity, Turbidity, durability, Cl–, Ca2+, Mg2+, NO2, NO3– and NH4+). The samples taken for the bacteriological study was have focused on the research and enumeration of total germs, faecal coliforms and faecal streptococci.The results indicated that most of the physicochemical parameters of the Mexa dam were within or at the permissible limit of Algerian standards and WHO for drinking and irrigation water. The establishment of the water suitability map of the Mexa dam for irrigation confirms the results obtained. The bacteriological results obtained showed the presence of significant levels of totale and faecal coliforms. The high load of these germs during the study period may be due to runoff and unhygienic behavior observed in the study area.