Monitoring the bacteriological quality of surface water in Eastern Morocco
The Moulouya wadi and its tributaries are the main water resources for irrigating the neighbouring agricultural fields of the Berkane region, which constitute the main activity of this region. Assessing the water quality of these resources is necessary to maintain their functioning and ensure a good yield for agricultural products. To do this, a monthly water sampling was carried out in the wadi of Moulouya and its tributary Zegzel-Cherâa for one year from December 2015 to November 2016. The samples were subjected to bacteriological analyses according to the protocols described by the Moroccan ISO standards and the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). The bacteriological analyses showed that the wadi of Cherâa is subjected to a strong pollution of human and animal origins, with a predominance of the human source. Indeed, the bacterial load (total coliforms, faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, faecal streptococci, etc.) is higher than the Moroccan standards of the State Secretariat at the Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water, and Environment (SEEE, 2007) indicating that the waters are of poor quality. The explanatory analysis (PCA) carried out on the studied variables highlighted a pollution gradient for the wadi Cherâa and also showed that the autumn was the season most polluted with higher loads of indicator bacteria. The abundance of these microorganisms in streams reflects the possible presence of pathogenic bacteria that could cause disease in populations that use these waters for drinking and irrigation. The waters of the wadi Cherâa are unfit for consumption.