A GIS-based assessment of the vulnerability to potential pollution of the alluvial aquifer of Meltine-Ras Jebel-Raf Raf (Northeats coast of Tunisia) using the parametric methods DRASTIC, SINTACS and SI
The alluvial aquifer of Metline-Ras Jebel-Raf Raf (prefecture of Bizerta, northeast coast of Tunisia), which occupies a surface of 35 km2, is of great economic importance because it is used for irrigation and domestic consumption. The area of the aquifer is essentially occupied by agricultural zones characterised by an increasing use of chemical fertilizers. These chemical fertilizers, together with discharges from the industrial zones that have appeared during the last 25 years, threaten the quality of the ground waters. The vulnerability of the aquifer to pollution by generic pollutants has been studied by applying the following methods: the generic DRASTIC method, the SINTACS method and the SI method. For the application of these methods GIS techniques were used. A statistical comparison among the vulnerability maps generated by each method has been carried out. On the one hand, this comparison shows a certain similarity between the results obtained using the SI and SINTACS methods. On the other hand, the DRASTIC map classification shows different results.