Geo-statistical and hydrochemical assessment of spring water quality and water sustainability based on WHO standards in the Agadir Ida-Ou-Tanane region

Abstract

Water resources worldwide are increasingly threatened by growing anthropogenic pressures and inherent hydrogeological constraints, raising concerns about their suitability for domestic use. This study aims to assess the physicochemical quality of certain springs in the Agadir Ida-Ou-Tanane region and evaluate compliance with international thresholds established by the World Health Organization (WHO) for drinking water. A total of twenty-six water samples were collected across the studied region and analyzed for key parameters including Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Total Hardness (TH). The EC values ranged from 275 µS/cm to 4210 µS/cm with an average of 1446.15 µS/cm. For Total dissolved solids, values ranged from 135 ppm to 7140 ppm, with Total hardness presented a maximum value of 3217.02 mg/L and minimum value of 188.9 mg/L. Water Quality Index (WQI) was calculated to provide an integrated evaluation of the overall water quality.Spatial distribution of water quality was further examined through Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation. WQI based classification revealed that 73.1% of the springs were in acceptable quality categories, with 34.6% classified as excellent and 38.5% as good. Despite this generally favorable status, TDS values approach or exceed international thresholds in several locations, indicating the need for region-wide monitoring and treatment strategies. Considering the heavy dependence of rural communities on spring water, these findings underscore the importance of investing in adequate treatment infrastructure and implementing robust protection measures for sustainable water resource management.