Study of the physical and chemical qualities of surface water and groundwater in the upper valley of wadi Rhumel (Eastern Algeria)

Abstract

Our study region is characterized by a varied age detritus Mio-Plio-Quaternary formations. Some training can be an important groundwater sources (alluvial sand, shell, limestone, gravel). Agriculture in the study area is the first socio-economic activity and the largest consumer of water resources. It is therefore necessary to take into account for effective water management. This may causes a risk of pollution of various kinds: agricultural, industrial, and domestic water overlooked the lack of wastewater treatment plants in the region and that all discharges of sewage are dumped into the river are the Rhumel no prior treatment. Wadi Rhumel water pollution factors are multiple and related primarily to the agricultural vocation of the area, the nature of different domestic and industrial discharges. We note that the discharge of wastewater from the town of Tadjenanet and Chelghoum Laid is at wadi Rhumel, the latter during low water turns into open sewer. In times of water shortage, intensive pumping on the outskirts of the wadi locally generates an immigration of a possible pollution load to groundwater. Two major cities in our study area are located along of wadi Rhumel with an estimated population over 100,000 inhabitants. Both towns have uncontrolled landfills where one is located at the upstream of wadi Rhumel. Faced with this alarming environmental situation and the lack of treatment plants, we contribute to the study of the impact of wastewater on the quality of surface and groundwater through a physicochemical analysis interpretation.