Assessment of groundwater quality in the Seraidi region (north-east of Algeria) using NSF-WQI

Abstract

Scarcity of water, pollution load, political issues and rising population have drawn great attention for proper management of water resources such as groundwater in the 21st century. The evaluation of groundwater quality is a critical element in the assessment of water resources. The quality/potability of water that is consumed defines the baseline of protection against many diseases and infections. The present study aims to calculate the water quality index (WQI) by the analysis of seven physico-chemical parameters according to the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) to assess the suitability of water for drinking, irrigation purposes and other human uses. In the present investigation, ten groundwater samples were collected from various parts of Seraidi municipality area located in the north-east of Algeria, Physico-chemical parameters such as pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, phosphates, nitrates, turbidity and fecal coliforms were analyzed. The overall WQI values for all the samples were found to be in the range of 68–86, which reveals the fact that the quality of all the samples is only medium to good and could be used for drinking and other domestic uses only after proper treatment.