Assessment of Inaouene River Pollution for Potable Water Supply, Northern Morocco

Abstract

Under hydrological uncertainty and to secure potable water supply for Fez city with more than one million and a half inhabitants, the competent authority intends to bring water from the Idriss 1st reservoir at 30 km far, downstream the Inaouene watershed. Pollution risks and contamination degree of surface water and sediments were assessed by monitoring the physicochemical characteristics of water and sediment samples. Results revealed high values of chemical oxygen demand and chloride mainly linked to the uncontrolled liquid discharges. Calcium and Magnesium showed also high concentrations that are due to watershed geology where carbonate rocks are dominant. The contents of some heavy metals remain relatively low and within Moroccan standards. Metal contents in sediments show a low degree of anthropogenic pollution. This led to conclude that waters and sediments in the study area show relatively degraded quality and then could be used for water supply under continuous control.

Keywords

• idriss 1st reservoir
• inaouene river
• water
• sediments
• physicochemistry
• contamination
• morocco