Seasonal Bacterial Contamination of Groundwater in the Zagora Area, Morocco

Abstract

The assessment of the bacterial quality of groundwater is a critical step in ensuring safe drinking water. For that, nine (9) water samples were collected from wells in the study area during the wet and dry seasons between December 2020 and December 2021. The parameters measured in this study include total germs at 22°C (TG-22°C) and 37°C (TG-37°C), total coliforms (TC), fecal coliforms (FC), fecal streptococci (FS), and the sulfito-reductor clostruim (SRC). The results show that the contamination levels vary widely between the different wells and between seasons. The highest levels of contamination were found in W6, with the highest values of all parameters measured except for TC. W1 and W7 were the only wells that were protected, and they had lower levels of contamination compared to unprotected wells. The sources of pollution were mainly related to agricultural activities, such as animal waste and metal waste. The findings of this study suggest the need for improved management practices to reduce contamination and protect the groundwater resources in the study area.