Hydro-chemical and bacteriological study of some sources of
groundwater in the GHIS-NEKOR and the BOKOYA aquifers
(AL HOCEIMA, MOROCCO)
Chaimae BENAISSA Belkacem BOUHMADI
Abdelmalek Essaâdi Abdelmalek Essaâdi Abdelmalek Essaâdi
University, Faculty of Science University, Faculty of Science University, Faculty of Science University, National School of
and Technology of Tangier, and Technology of Tangier, and Technology of Tangier,
Department of Earth Sciences / Department of Earth Sciences / Department of Earth Sciences /
Geosciences research team on Geosciences research team on Geosciences research team on
natural risks (Georisk) natural risks (Georisk) natural risks (Georisk)
chaimaehi1@gmail.com b.kacem@gmail.com rossi@uae.ma
ABSTRACT
This study carried out on the BOKOYA and GHIS-NEKOR
tablecloth, which located in the North of Morocco. This work aims
to study the quality of groundwater in the Al Hoceima region
intended for human consumption, and their Physico-chemical and
bacteriological characterization. As well as the determination of
the primary sources of contamination for their protection and their
preservation according to the Moroccan water law, especially
since those waters are very requested by the inhabitants of the
region, which constitutes a potential risk when the waters of those
groundwaters are being consumed without any treatment. Main
water analyzes carried out: i) Physico-chemical analyzes of
drinking water (Total Organic Carbon, Total and residual chlorine,
Water hardness and alkalinity, Metals, Nitrites/Nitrates, pH,
turbidity, color), ii) Microbiological analyzes (Total coliforms and
atypical bacteria, Fecal coliforms (E. coli), Fecal Streptococci and
enterococci). The Analysis of the overall water quality revealed
that the results of the physicochemical analyzes of point P1, P2,
and P4 are of poor quality to inferior quality. Moreover, for the
bacteriological results, point P1, P2, and P3 are average to poor
quality. Multivariate data analysis (PCA) has made it possible to
classify those waters into two groups: more mineralized group (P1,
P4, P5), and less mineralized group (P2, P3). The deterioration in
the quality of the water in the BOKOYA and GHIS-NEKOR
groundwaters may be resulted from anthropogenic origin. It may
also be related to the dissolution of the minerals that make up the
soil.
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GEOIT4W-2020, March 11–12, 2020, Al-Hoceima, Morocco © 2020
Association for Computing Machinery. ACM ISBN 978-1-4503-7578-
8/20/03…$15.00
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3399205.3399221
Abdelhamid ROSSI Yahya EL HAMMOUDANI
Abdelmalek Essaâdi
Applied Sciences of Al
Hoceima, Department of
Energy, Environmental and
Civil Engineering / Water and
environment management Unit.
elhammoudani5@gmail.com
KEYWORDS
Aquifer GHIS-NEKOR, Water quality, Physico-chemical
parameters, bacteriological parameters, ACP.
ACM Reference format:
Chaimae BENAISSA, Belkacem BOUHMADI, Abdelhamid ROSSI,
Yahya EL HAMMOUDANI. 2020. Hydro-chemical and bacteriological
study of some sources of groundwater in the GHIS-NEKOR and the
BOKOYA aquifers (Al-Hoceima, MOROCCO). In Proceedings of
International conference Geo-IT and Water Resources 2020 (GEOIT4W-
2020). Al-Hoceima, Morocco, 5 pages.
ACM ISBN 978-1-4503-7578-8/20/03
DOI : https://doi.org/10.1145/3399205.3399221
1. INTRODUCTION
In the environmental field, the quality of drinking water has been
frequently addressed as an issue, and it is becoming increasingly
difficult to be controlled nationally or even globally.
The Al Hoceima region belongs to the internal domain of the
consequent rifaine chain of the Alpine orogeny. It was marked by
a stack of several structural units separated from each other by
abnormal contacts [1]. Among these units is the outer limestone
ridge that supports, in the form of a tectonic plate, the terrains of
the inner limestone ridge and those of the Paleozoic ghomarids
nappes [2].
On a regional scale in the district of Al Hoceima, the SMBAK dam
is suffering from the phenomenon of silting. While the initial
capacity of the dam when it was built in 1981 was 43.3 million m3,
currently, due to this phenomenon after 37 years, this capacity has
been decreased to less than 6 million m3 because of the silt loading
the rivers, given the nature of the soils in this region. Also, the
population of this region suffers from the quality of the water in
the domestic network, which has a high hardness and an
 GEOIT4W'20, March, 2020, Al Hoceima, MOROCCO. C. BENAISSA.

unbearable chlorine smell, which pushes people to look for With its northern location on the Mediterranean coast, the
alternative water points. And among these points, some are not district of Al Hoceima generally experiences a wet and rainy
certified for usage as a drinking water. However, the lack of season from October to April, followed by a dry season from May
awareness of some people to the danger of non-drinking water to September. The inter-annual average rainfall exceeds 300 mm
leads to the appearance of various waterborne diseases. on the coast and 1000 mm at the highest altitudes. As for the
temperature, it varies between 10°c and 30°c.
This study concerns the determination of the quality of five water
points used by the population. These five points were selected In the study area, there are several points and sources of water for
based on the most used ones at the regional level as drinking water. consumption. The five selected points (Table 1 and figure 2) are
As it is known, the SMBAK dam, which supplies the district of Al the most used by the population of Al Hoceima.
Hoceima, suffers from many problems, primarily the phenomenon
Table 1: Sample sites.
of silting. So people in the district are always looking for different
sources of water other than a tap water. Samples Code Latitude Longitude
THANOT P1 35°14’53.2’’N 3°55’47.3’’W
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
SIDI
P2 35°14’04.3’’N 3°55’47.3’’W
2.1. Study area MANSOUR
The district of Al Hoceima is geographically located in the north-
central part of Morocco, on the Mediterranean coast, with an area IZEMMOUREN P3 35°14’53.2’’N 3°59’46029’’W
of 3550 km². It mainly characterized by a slope ranging from 10%
to 40% and 120 km² of the plains. GHIS-NEKOR P4 35°10 ’31.3 N 003°51’47.5’’ W

According to the results of the General Census of Population and
Housing achieved in 2014 (RGPH), 399654 inhabitants1 have
identified at the level of the district of Al Hoceima against 395644
inhabitants in RGPH 2004, i.e., an overall increase of 1.01%.
The district of Al Hoceima is characterized by the critical weight
of the population, which represents 65.6% of the province's total
population, compared with 34.4% in the urban environment. A rate
of urbanization that remains relatively lower than that registered
to the regional average (59.9%).
In terms of average annual growth, the province's population grew
at a rate of 0.1% during the intercensal period (2004-2014). An
increase that remains relatively lower than that observed in the
region as a whole (1.49%) [3].
Figure 1: Population of Al Hoceima district in the 2004 and
2014 censuses by place of residence.
The topography of the study area characterized relatively by low
elevations not exceeding 600 m in the east and gradually rising
westward to 700 m. There are also mountains of higher elevations,
but rare and isolated. The morphology of the area shows peaks at
approximately the same altitudes, separated by narrow basins
bordered by steep slopes. This type of undulating and highly
compartmentalized morphology is related to the kind of facies that
dominates the sector. These are the rigid materials of the
calcareous ridge [4].
SAHILI P5 35°25 ’45 .7’’N 3°75’63’’17W
Figure 2: Geographical location of the sources of water
abstracted.
From a geological point of view, the samples taken located at the
level of different geological units of various lithological nature. To
understand the geological location of our points, we based
ourselves on geological maps 1/50000 of Al Hoceima and Rouadi
and that of Béni Boufrah 1/100000, which we superimposed on the
Google Earth satellite image. The geological formations where the
points studied appear are as follows [5]: (P1): the Thanot source
appears at the contact of the Paleozoic schists with the Triassic
dolomites of the outer ridge (t-I1B). (P2): this source exists at the
level of the Devonian limestone of the Tirhanimine. They are very
much fractured; they are overlying the Tertiary sole of Bokoya (e-
g), which is of the marly nature of Eo-Oligocene age. (P3): is in
contact with the Bokoya massif with the Tisirene flysch (C1-4TS-
OM). (P4): this point exists in an interval where Devonian
limestones of the Sidi Bouafif exist. (P5): is located at the level of
the bay coast of AL Hoceima on national road n°16, which links
Al Hoceima and Nador.
2.2. Sampling and hydro-chemical analyses
 Hydro-chemical and bacteriological study of some sources of
groundwater in the GHIS-NEKOR and the BOKOYA aquifers
(AL HOCEIMA, MOROCCO)
Water samples were collected in (33 cl) polyethylene bottles (4
bottles for each point) after rinsing thoroughly with water to be
collected. The vials were numbered and recorded. These bottles
were kept in coolers and analyzed just after the sampling
campaign.
In the laboratory, several analytical methods were used. The
volumetric EDTA method was used to determine calcium (Ca2+),
magnesium (Mg2+), and total water hardness. It was also used to
determine chlorides (Cl-), silver nitrate, and bicarbonates (HCO3-
) with hydrochloric acid. Colorimetric determination methods
were used to determine nitrates (NO3-), sulfates (SO42-),
ammonium (NH4+), orthophosphates (PO43-), silicates (SiO2),
using a UV 9200 spectrophotometer. Sodium (Na+) and potassium
(K+) determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer.
The verification of the results of the analyses for a good
interpretation and graphic representation of the data is essential.
For all the samples, we proceeded to the verification of the
analyses by the ion balance based on the relation:
(1)
- e < 5% good analysis
- 5% < e < 10% acceptable analysis
- e > 10% wrong analysis
The ion balance of points P1 and P4 shows an error greater than
10 (23% for P1 and 26% for P4). These high values may be due
to either errors in the analyses or to the lack of analysis of certain
elements such as potassium. While the ion balance of P2
(e=9.40%), P3 (e=0.6%), and P5 (e=- 9.2%) shows that the
results of the analyses are good to acceptable.
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
3.1. Physical characteristics
Measurements made in the field concerning the physical
parameters, which are: atmospheric temperature (T atmo °C) and
water temperature (T water °C), hydrogen potential (pH) and
electrical conductivity (EC).
The pH of water quantifies the convergence of hydrogen particles
in the water. In natural waters, this is due to, in particular, to the
ionization of carbonic acid and its salts. The pH=7 is due to the
neutrality that corresponds to pure water. The pH values for
groundwater normally lie between 6 and 8.5 [6]. The results of air
and water temperature measurements in the study area. The study
area does not show much variation from point to point with a
minimum of 18°C (P1) and a maximum of 27.8°C (P5). The pH
measurement in the field done by the pH meter; it is based on the
determination activity of hydrogen ions using an electrode
immersed in water. The values obtained ranged from 7.45 to 7.63,
indicating generally neutral waters. These values do not exceed the
value set in the Moroccan standard, which is between 6.5 and 8.5.
The electrical conductivity of water corresponds to the
conductance of a column of water between two metal electrodes
with a surface area of 1 cm² and separated from each other by 1
GEOIT4W'20, March 2020, Al Hoceima, MOROCCO.
cm. The conductivity values of the individual stations measured.
They vary between 1514 3020μS/cm (P3) and 3020μS/cm (P1),
indicating that the groundwater studies are moderate to highly
mineralized. The maximum value of electrical conductivity set in
the Moroccan standard at 2700μS/cm.
The determination of the dry residue makes it possible to evaluate
the content of dissolved and suspended matter in water, the total
residue. If the water filtered before measurement, the residue is the
dissolved solids.
The result obtained is influenced by the temperature and the
duration of the drought. At 100-105 °C, some or all of the
interstitial water and the water of crystallization of certain salts
may evaporate. The different waters have varying ionic
concentrations, characterized by the dominance of Chlorides in all
points, in addition to significant amounts of Sodium, Bicarbonates,
and Sulfates. The lowest mineralization recorded at point P3,
which gave lower electrical conductivities.
3.2. Hydro-chemical characteristics
The cations analyzed are calcium, magnesium, sodium, and
potassium. The analyzed anions are chlorides, sulfates, and
bicarbonates. In the waters studies, these elements have calculated
in mg/l.
Calcium is generally the dominant element in drinking water, and
its content varies essentially according to the nature of the land
crossed (calcareous or gypsum soil) [7]. Table 1 shows that the
Ca2+ contents widely dispersed. High calcium concentrations are
observed in P4 (200.4 mg/l), P1 (179.42 mg/l) and P3 (129.76
mg/l). Its presence is mainly due to the infiltration of meteoric
waters through carbonate formations and the existence of gypsum
formations. Low values are recorded at P2and P5 and do not
exceed 100 mg/l. This weakness can be explained by the altitude
of these two water points about the elevation of the recharge area.
Magnesium is less abundant than calcium and sodium. High
concentrations of magnesium marked in the source P4 (115.2
mg/l) and P5 (100.8 mg/l) from a marine invasion, a consequence
of their location near the sea and their low altitudes. The majority
of the points studied have levels higher than the legal standard of
50 mg/l, set by the WHO. Sodium shows that the concentrations
of this element in the majority of the waters studied are high and
exceed in the majority of the water points studied the levels
allowed by the WHO. Which are of the order of 100 mg/l. The
maximum sodium values were recorded at points P4 (415 mg/l)
and P1 (360 mg/l), P2 (226 mg/l), P5 (240 mg/l), and the minimum
appears at points P3 (89 mg/l). The marine intrusion may
contaminate the origin of this high concentration (>200 mg/l).
Chlorides are important inorganic anions contained in varying
concentrations in natural waters, usually in the form of sodium
(NaCl) and potassium (KCl) salts. They were often used as an
indicator of pollution [8]. They were found in large quantities in
groundwater. It was the most abundant ion. Its maximum value
recorded in the points P1 (440.2 mg/l), P2 (337.25 mg/l), where it
does not exceed the Moroccan standard, which is about 750 mg/l.
According to the analyses, all the points are acceptable because
 GEOIT4W'20, March, 2020, Al Hoceima, MOROCCO. C. BENAISSA.

they are inferior to the standard. Sulfates are present in the study SO4 (mg/l) 717,83 105,48 88,31 598,2 753,8
waters in varying amounts (Table 9). The highest values exceed
NO3 (mg/l) 99,32 39,4 181,69 102,57 130,4
the value set in the Moroccan standard, which is of the order of
400 mg/l, they observed in points P1 (717.83 mg/l), P5 (753.8 NH4 (mg/l) 0,04 0,17 0,1 0,129 0,126
mg/l) and P4 (598.2 mg/l), while the lowest content determined by
the water point P3 (88.31 mg/l). Their origins appear to be SiO2 (mg/l) 14,82 4,97 15,75 14,97 15,51
identical to those of the chlorides. The bicarbonate content in
PO4 (mg/l) 0,22 0 0,26 0,17 0,25
groundwater depends primarily on the presence of carbonate
minerals in the soil and aquifer, and the CO2 content of the air and Cu (mg/l) 0,0084 0,0022 0,005 0,091 0,83
soil in the recharge basin [9]. The bicarbonate content of the waters
Pb (ppm) 0,249 1,1217 0,4406 0,871 0,935
studied is shown in Table 1. It shows that concentrations are
generally high, with a maximum of 933.2 mg/l (P5) and a TOC (mg/l) 27,74 14,96 21,91 25,34 26,57
minimum of 195.2 mg/l (P2).
CI (mg/l) 70,65 33,14 46,47 50,22 60,44
Groundwater naturally contains few nitrogen compounds. These
compounds, resulting from the decomposition of living matter by CT (mg/l) 98,39 48,1 68,38 71,31 88,24
microorganisms, are mineralized into nitrogen gas or remain in
small quantities in the soil. The concentrations of nitrates found to 3.3. Bacteriological characteristics
vary between 39.7 and 181.69 mg/l. The most significant values
The analyses were carried out on selected points that belong to
that exceed the standard are recorded at points P1, P3, P4, P5,
groundwater. The water from these points supplies the urban
which located in urban areas without a sewerage system (Figure
population and all rural areas. The purpose of these analyses is to
29). The local population discharges wastewater into individual
look for bacteriological contaminations that may affect human
septic tanks. The diffusion of nitrates can cause nitrate
health; these analyses are based on the methods of ISO 6222, ISO
contamination of these water points from the septic tanks to the
9308, ISO 7899 and ISO 6461-2. The results obtained from the
water table. In the P2 point present, concentrations of less than 40
bacteriological analysis are grouped in Table. These results are
mg/l are present. The results of ammonium analysis of the Bokoya
compared with the maximum allowable values (MAVs)
and GHIS-NEKOR waters shown in Table 1. They show that the
determined by standard 037001, which sets out the requirements
concentration of this element in all the points studied does not
for human drinking water quality. From a bacteriological point of
exceed the Moroccan standard, which is of the order of 0.5 mg/l.
view, it can be said that P4 and P5 are the best for the drinking
According to the analyses, it observed that all the points are
water supply of populations and can thus replace tap water.
acceptable because they are below the standard. Phosphates in our
study of the waters of Bokoya and GHIS-NEKOR show low
3.4. Principal Component Analysis
concentrations of orthophosphates (Table 9) that do not exceed the
guide value set by the WHO (0.7 mg/l). Based on the analyses, it Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is part of multivariate
can be seen that all points are acceptable as they are below the descriptive analyses. It allows the study of arrays of quantitative
standard. numerical data to reduce their dimensionality by defining a new
set of variables that is smaller in number than the original set of
Table 2: Results of Physico-chemical measurements. variables. The main components are obtained by diagonalization
Samples P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 of the bivariate correlation matrices. This diagonalization defines
a set of eigenvalues, the observation of which for each element
T° atm (°C) 19 19,5 21 24,7 22,6 makes it possible to determine the number of graphs to examined.
T (°C) 18 19 21 25,4 27,8 The final phase of the PCA consists of a graphical representation
that provides insight into the results that numerical expressions do
Ph 7,54 7,5 7,63 7,48 7,5 not offer. R-stat for WINDOWS software was used to process the
data. In this study, all chemical variables determined in the five
E.C (μs/cm) 3020 1592 1514 2410 2612
samples analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA). The
TDS (mg/l) 2241,33 1013,55 955,9 1293,6 4532,89 simplified interpretation, only two factors used, accounting for
42.71% of the total variance. The first factor, representing 42.71%
TH (°F) 79,6 32 42,8 19,6 13,2 of the total difference, corresponds to ions (EC, TDS, Na+, Cl-,
Cl (mg/l) 440,2 337,25 177,5 501,02 393,1 Mg2+, Ca2+, SO42-) that are associated with hardness, gypsum
dissolution (present in the local geology) and marine intrusion.
HCO3 (mg/l) 329,4 195,2 244 360 933 The second factor, which represents 28.09% of the total variance,
corresponds to the ions (NO3-, pH, Th, Pb, and NH4+), linked to
Ca (mg/l) 179,42 56,07 129,76 200,4 96,1
an external input (anthropic pollution, photosynthesis, presence of
Mg (mg/l) 83,38 43,15 24,86 115,2 100,8 clays...).
Na (mg/l) 360 226 89 415 240
 Hydro-chemical and bacteriological study of some sources of
groundwater in the GHIS-NEKOR and the BOKOYA aquifers
(AL HOCEIMA, MOROCCO) GEOIT4W'20, March 2020, Al Hoceima, MOROCCO.

results of the chemical analyses that we carried out on the samples

taken during the study period showed a diversity of major element
contents, and according to the effects of bacteriological analyses,
the three points P1, P2 and p3 have poor quality; therefore they are
considered to be water not fit for human consumption. For
agricultural use, it has found that the high salinity of water can
cause progressive degradation of irrigated soils.
In general, we can say that the quality of the waters of the Bokoya
massif and the GHIS-NEKOR aquifer varies from average to very
poor quality, for both human consumption and soil irrigation. A
more in-depth study on a more significant number of water points,
associated with the lithology of the massif, could complete the
present work. It will be able to verify the evolution of water quality
during the two seasons that the region experiences.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This work supported by Abdelmalek Essadi University, Faculty of
science and Technology-Tangier

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be subdivided into two main groups: The first group (P1, P4, P5)
which are the most mineralized sampling stations compared to the
other group, with a good position with the majority of the major
elements. On the other hand, they characterized by low grades of
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to the first group.

4. CONCLUSION
Our work was made in the Provincial Laboratories of
Epidemiological Diagnosis and Environmental Hygiene of Al
Hoceima on the groundwater points that belong to t two different
aquifers: GHIS-NEKOR aquifer and BOKOYA massif. The study
areas that we have based our research on and presented have not
been the object of detailed hydrological and geological studies,
which shows a complexity at the level of surface and underground
water resources. We carried out the sampling at the level of the
five points; P1, P2, P3, which belongs to the BOKOYA massif,
and P4, P5, which belong to the GHIS-NEKOR water table. The