Abstract
Over the last two decades, repeated dry periods across the country have clearly highlighted the weaknesses in the balance of needs and surface water resources. The latter are increasingly failing due to the large inter-annual rainfall variability and high exposure to evaporation. Because of their high inertial capacity, groundwater is less affected by interannual fluctuations and compensates for the irregularity of surface water availability. However, in addition to being overexploited, groundwater can be exposed to various types of pollution that can alter their quality, sometimes irreparably. The issue of delimiting the protection perimeters around catchments implies a local development policy that is coherent from the point of view of water management and spatial planning. The present work contributes to the delimitation of the perimeters of protection of groundwater catchments of the Berrechid aquifer. Thanks to the “particle tracking” method through the use of models MODPATH and MODFLOW interfaced to GMS 4.0 (Groundwater Modeling System Version 4.0), we delimited the closed protection perimeters, using the numerical MODPATH model, by drawing the 50-day isochrones. Within these perimeters, any bacteriological or chemical action is prohibited. We delimited also the distant protection perimeters (infinite transfer time) that serve as an extension to the closed protection perimeters (transfer time of 50 days). Feeding areas have been introduced to protect groundwater from substances with insufficient degradation and natural retention. The results obtained show that these wells (catchments (P1 to P9) intended for drinking water supply in the Berrechid region) could be contaminated if the part of the aquifer to the south, upstream of these wells, is polluted by persistent chemical substances. The agricultural activities must be controlled and regulated by the State authorities in order to avoid any risk of contamination of the new boreholes by phytosanitary products since Berrechid region is an agricultural zone.
Highlights
The Berrechid aquifer is relatively small in size compared to the water needs in the region
The present work contributes to the delimitation of the perimeters of protection of groundwater catchments of the Berrechid aquifer
The inherent risks in the pollution of a groundwater resource depend on the activities on the soil surface
Summary
The Berrechid aquifer is relatively small in size compared to the water needs in the region (drinking and industrial water supply, irrigation, etc.). This should, a priori, encourage a vigilant approach in its quantitative and qualitative management. Several studies carried out in this respect have repeatedly highlighted the piezometric deficit, over-exploitation [3], quality degradation (many wells whose nitrate concentration was more than 50 mg/L [4] [5] [6]) and inadequate management of water resources. The use of the mobilized resource is 91% to 94% for agriculture and only 6% to 9% for the supply of drinking water and industrial water. Long periods of drought combined with increased water needs are creating imbalances in quantity and quality in most aquifers in Morocco [7]
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