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Spatiotemporal Assessment of Groundwater Quality in the Oum Rbia Watershed Using GIS-Pro and Water Quality Indices
 
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1
Laboratory of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University Ibn Toufail, BP 133-14000, Kenitra, Morocco
 
2
Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Catalysis and Environment, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University Ibn Toufail, BP 133-14000, Kenitra, Morocco
 
3
Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Materiels, Ben M’sik Faculty of Scieneces, Hassan II Organic Chemistry, catalysis, BP 79-55, Casablanca, Morocco
 
 
Corresponding author
Hicham Ouhakki   

Laboratory of Natural Resources and Sustainable Development, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University Ibn Toufail, BP 133-14000, Kenitra, Morocco
 
 
J. Ecol. Eng. 2024; 25(11):15-27
 
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ABSTRACT
Groundwater analysis across the Oum Rbia watershed is currently hampered by technical constraints and high costs. This research aims to produce comprehensive groundwater quality maps throughout the basin's aquifers by integrating the Water Quality Index (WQI) and Microbiological Quality Index (MQI) with GIS-Pro for a spatiotemporal assessment of water quality. Twenty physicochemical parameters, including pH, temperature, conductivity, total dissolved solids, permanganate index, ammonium (NH₄⁺), major cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Mn²⁺), major anions (Cl⁻, HCO₃⁻, NO₂⁻, NO₃⁻, CO₃²⁻, SO₄²⁻), total hardness (TH), total alkalinity (TAC), and total iron (FeT) concentration were analyzed. Additionally, the microbiological parameters such as the fecal streptococci, fecal coliforms, and total coliforms were investigated. Fieldwork spanning twelve campaigns across 2021 and 2022 seasons involved sample collection at fifty four locations distributed throughout the watershed's six aquifers. The comprehensive database facilitated the calculation of both MQI and WQI. Kriging interpolation was utilized to create spatial estimates of these indices beyond the sampling points, enabling the generation of maps that visualize water quality across the study area. The WQI indicated that groundwater in most of the studied basin is of excellent quality, though water quality deteriorates in areas receiving wastewater discharge from urban, industrial, and agricultural activities. The MQI results revealed significant pathogenic germ contamination across a substantial portion of the watershed, intensifying during the summer due to factors such as temperature, river flow, human activities, and seasonal pollution sources. These maps enhance the understanding of water table information for non-experts and aid decision-makers in identifying critical areas and developing effective management strategies. However, complexities in water quality and training data influence the accuracy of ArcGIS-Pro predictions, potentially overlooking key factors if the data is insufficient.
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