Assessment of the hygienic quality of well and spring water: A case study of the Oued Leben watershed (Central Prerif, Morocco)

¹ Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques of Fez -Annex Taza-, Taza 35000, Morocco
² Chouaib Doukkali University Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Laboratory for Spatial Recomposition and Sustainable Development, El Jadida, Morocco
³ Laboratory of Engineering, Electrochemistry and Modeling Environment (LEEME), Faculty of Sciences Fez, Morocco
⁴ Laboratory of Geodynamics and Natural Resources, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco :
⁵ Geo-Resources and Environment Laboratory, University of Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah
⁶ Laboratory of Advanced Research in Industrial Logistics and Engineering (LARILE), Applied Mathematics Team, National High School of Electricity and Mechanical Engineering (ENSEM), University Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco.

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the physical, chemical, and bacteriological quality of groundwater in the Oued Leben basin and to identify the pollutants present and their origins. The research included a spatial study of 37 groundwater stations over a period of nine months (September 2024 to June 2025). The results showed spatial differentiation influenced by natural and human factors. The groundwater analyzed shows a deterioration in its physical-chemical and bacteriological quality, expressed by a high load of pathogenic bacteria and high salinity downstream of the Oued Leben, reaching 8.60 g/L in P1 and P10. This leads to a considerable deterioration in groundwater quality, calculated at approximately 86.5% of points with poor to very poor quality, thus rendering it unfit for human consumption. This deterioration depends mainly on various natural and anthropogenic factors.