An Evaluation System of Surface Water Quality in Algeria (Application on the Western Algerian Catchements)

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ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 6, Issue 3, (Part - 4) March 2016, pp.09-15
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An Evaluation System of Surface Water Quality in Algeria
(Application on the Western Algerian Catchements)
H. Djediai a*
, N.berkok a
, A. Kettabb*
, M. Hadjela
a
Laboratoire des Sciences, Technologie et Génie des procédés. LSTGP
Département de chimie, faculté des sciences, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie d’Oran
BP 1505 el m’nouar 31016, Oran Algérie b
Ecole Nationale Polytechnique Alger, Laboratoire de Recherches des
Sciences de l’Eau-
10, Av. Hacene Badi, BP182 EL Harrach 16000 Alger- Algerie.
ABSTRACT
Easily accessible surface waters remain very fragile and very vulnerable to various types of pollution. Chellif,
Macta and Tafna Basins are considered as the main water resources feeding the North West of Algeria; however,
protection and conservation of these water resources become the major concern of the researchers. The
evaluation system of the water quality is based on the measure of physic-chemical parameters of the surface
water according to the uses of water for drink, industry or agriculture. In this work we have to proceed to an
application of this system to the surface waters on the three basins. Physic-chemical analyses are used for a
period of three years (2012-2014) and several points chosen on the three catchments are taken into account.
In this paper we shall apply the quality index calculation method for the Water Quality Evaluation system
(WQES) and the follow-up of the impacts of the anthropologic activities on the natural environment The main
results are the validation of the WQES method for different type of pollution as mineral, organic, heavy metals
in the West of Algeria, this methodology give us possibility for better investigation of the water pollution.
Keys words: Water quality, Physic-chemical parameters, uses of water, quality grid.
I. INTRODUCTION
Due to the water shortage and the
population growth; the amount of fresh water is
limited in Algeria and very vulnerable to various
types of pollution [1; 2]. In response to the current
deficiencies concerning water resources:
protection; management and all known pollution
risks (uncontrolled urban and industrial wastewater
releases) of this rare commodity are required.
In this paper; the adoption of a single methodology
of the Water Quality Evaluation System (WQES)
for water surface [3] is going to allow us to
appreciate better the quality of waters and
especially estimate the pollution; it is going to lead
us to a better management of the water resource
according to the use in which it will be intended
[4].
The WQES is based on the measure of
physic-chemical parameters of the surface water
and the follow-up of the impacts of the
anthropologic activities on the natural environment
[5, 6]. It is a part of river quality assessment that
aims to convert the chemical data of water quality
to simple information which is more suitable. It is
often based on an estimation of the quality with
comparison to the grid conceived according to the
uses of the water: drinkable, industrial, agricultural
waters and leisure activities. This conception is on
the basis of all systems of evaluation of water
agencies worldwide. It would be more sensible for
population to use a water of average quality (class
2 and 3) for domestic uses than wasting water of
high chemical quality water [6-9]. Three important
catchments Chellif, Macta and Tafna are
considered as the main water resources feeding the
North West of Algeria are taken as a study area.
Physic chemical analyses of 44 sampling stations
are used. For a better evaluation; only chemical
parameters defining salinity; organic and heavy
metals waters alterations are taken into
consideration.
II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1 Presentation of the study area
Tafna basin is situated in an extreme
western of Algeria, extends over a surface of 7.245
km2
, covering Tlemcen, Maghnia [11-13]; it is
limited to the North by the Mediterranean Sea and
the high plains of Oran; on the West by the
Moroccan average Atlas and in the East by Daya of
Sidi-Bel-Abbès Mounts.
Macta basin is situated in North East of
Tafna with 14750 km² [14] of surface area Fig.1. It
is bounded in the Northwest by the mountain range
of the Tessala, in the South by the high plateaus of
Ras El ma and Maalif plain, in the East by the trays
of the Telagh and the Saïda Mounts and finally on
the West by the Tlemcen Mounts which are the
RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS

continuations of the Beni Chougrane Mounts.
Cheliff is the biggest basin in the region located in
the North East of Macta Extending over a surface
of 56 227 [15]. Only the western region (26 948
km²) around Relizane Tiaret and Chlef cities will
be assessed. In this study, Tafna, Macta and Chellif
are chosen for the WQES using calculation Indexes
method.
Figure1. Location of the study area
2.2 Sampling and physic-chemical analysis
The sampling was monthly carried out on
the network measurement stations of assessment
water quality of the NAHR, these station are
distributed on all of the long streams of the three
basins overturning of Tafna, Macta and Chellif,
more than 44 stations has been taken into account
during this study, the period of sampling spreads
out over a period of 2012-2014, the main chemical
parameters cited below “Table1, 2, 3” were
assessed [16].
Physic–chemical analyses were realized
with the collaboration between NAHR Laboratory
and the LSTGP laboratory of University of Science
and Technology of Oran Mohamed BOUDIAF.
Chemical data [10] used for the Calculation system
are for a period (2012-2014). From the net work
assessment of the surface water quality of the
National Agency of the Hydraulic Resources
(NAHR), 44 sampling stations located around the
three basins are investigated Fig.2, maps are taken
from department of water surface of NAHR [17.
Figure2. Representation map of sampling stations
2.3 Qualities indexes determination
The chemical parameters were grouped
together on different families according to the type
of pollution, five classes with their values
thresholds were used to identify the water quality.
2.3.1 Mineral quality by Salinity Index (Isal)
Salinity Index (Isal) is represented by two
major salts: sulfates and chlorides Table 1 as well
as global conductivity of the water, these
parameters remain sufficient to estimate the salinity
of water. The addition of the other salts to specify
the alteration of the salinity according to the
requirements of a special mineral quality can be
proposed.
Table1: Thresholds values of the salinity Index
(Isal)
2.3.2 Organic quality Index (Iorg)
Water Organic quality is evaluated by
assessing the following parameters: O2Dissolved
(% of saturation), Chemical Oxygen Demand
(COD) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand on Five
days (BOD5). Ammonia and Total Nitrogen
Kjeldahl, limit class for all parameters are
presented Table.2.
Table2. Thresholds values of the organic Index
(Iorg)
2.3.3 Quality indexes in inorganic toxic
elements (Itxm)
Assessment grids fixing the values
thresholds of the various quality classes for the
inorganic and organic toxic elements were
established in Table 3.
The assessment of surface water,
especially in this region, nitrates and heavy metals
quality indexes are elaborated. Nitrates pollution is
not very pronounced, for that only, the three heavy
metals are taken into account: Total Chromium,
Copper and Mercury.

Table.3 Concentrations class limit in µg/L
defining toxic heavy metals Index (Itxm)
The classification proposed by categories
or classes in this study are as follows:
 Class I (Blue): Excellent, water quality is
practically not degraded; conditions are
similar to natural water.
 Class II (green): Good quality, water quality is
slightly degraded, low pollution.
 Class III (Yellow): medium quality, water
quality is occasionally degraded, important
pollution.
 Class IV (Orange): poor quality, water quality
is often degraded, very important pollution.
 Class V (Red): bad quality, water quality is
almost always degraded, high pollution and
cannot be used unless treated at high price.
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The processing of chemical data allowed
highlighting the qualitative aspect of superficial
resources in the Algerian Northwest.
Table.4 Quality indexes determinate by
calculation method
3.1 Mineral water quality
Mineral Water quality represented by the
Salinity index (Isal) showed in Fig.3 is altered by
the Conductivity value (>1500 µs/cm). Only dams
have a moderate values between 750 and 1500
µs/cm. Only 4.55% of stations measures present a
good quality with Isal =1 and 11.36% for Isal=2;
salinity index in all the three basins indicate poor
quality Isal = 4 for 22.73% of measures and bad
quality Isal =5 for 61.36 % of stations. The critical
shortage of water in the west of Algeria caused by
the irregular precipitation and the high
consumption of surface water are the principle
mineral alteration.
Figure.3 Salinity index distribution
3.2 Organic Water quality
The organic water quality (Iorg) is altered
by Ammonia which is one of the most important
parameter for assessing pollution. For the registers
values in all basins, concentrations of Ammonia are
higher than 0,5mg/L; the recommended by the
WHO and the Algerian standards [16, 18] also
COD and BOD5 are the declassed parameters for
this kind of pollution, the Oxygen dissolved (%
saturation) values are decreased to zero.
Figure.4 Organic index distribution
0% of measures present an Organic quality
index 1, 2 and 3, only 27.27 % have Iorg= 4 and
2.73% of stations have Class 5 or out of range
Fig.4. This abundance of organic pollution is
related to the human activities, industrial plants,
showing organic pollution domination in overall
the three basins Fig.5 and particularly the station
close to the agglomerations: Tiaret, Mascara, Sidi
Bel Abbes, Tlemcen and Maghnia.
We shall quote below consumption of water by
different cities in the region.
Table.5 Inventory of the pollution sources

Oueds became natural collectors of urban
and industrial discharges draining chemical and
toxic elements. Their capacity of cleaning up is
more and more reduced, in particular period of
low-water mark, where there is no dilution. The
data available and applied on the (WQES) show
that a big part of water resources is polluted by
unchecked discharges and urban waste water not
uncluttered Fig.5. For Macta basin about 142704
m3
/day is rejected by only the three important
agglomerations Table.5. Mascara, Saida and Sidi
Bel Abbes, 6567.13 m3/day is the discharges of
industrial waste [19], also the dysfunction of water-
treatment plants and the connecting of the
industrial units in sewer systems or discharge in the
environment is conditioned by the preliminary
installation of a water-treatment plant, but this
regulatory measure is not applied so the water
quality is then affected. These rejections settle in
dams lead to a reduction of dam’s capacities. The
registration of degradation of the quality of waters
dams, owed essentially to the discharges of cities
and industries situated upstream.
Figure.5 Organic pollution map of Macta and Tafna
basin
3.3 Water pollution by heavy metals
Derived from anthropogenic activities,
Total Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu) and Mercury
(Hg) are considered to be the most significant
heavy metals influencing the water quality in the
west of Algeria. Heavy metals Index (txm)
distribution represented by the “Fig.6” indicate that
all stations have Itxm >3, all the three basins
exceed the limit of the Third class “Table.3”; this
results confirm that the surface water are
contaminated essentially by Chromium and Hg.
The World of Health Organization (WHO)
recommend as limit values: 50 µg/L for Total
Chromium, 2000 µg/L for Copper and 1 µg/L for
Mercury. The concentrations of these metals are
over the third class thresholds values, so for the
Itxm = 1 or 2 and 3 the limit values don’t exceed
the WHO recommendations; because the WQES
use very low and sever limit class concentrations
defining toxic heavy metals class. Only the forth
and the fifth class present high values of limit class;
for that, the WQES is rigorous and sever system.
Heavy metals in water increase the health risk to
population around the water sources, this risk is
then magnified the accumulation of heavy metals
into the human body by the consumption of water
and food containing toxic heavy metals. Industry
waste water and Sewage irrigation are the main
sources of heavy metal pollution [20].
Figure6. Heavy metals Index distribution
3.4The Global Quality Index (GQI)
According to the methodology of WQES,
the Global Quality Index (GQI) presented in table 4
indicate (GQI= 5), water quality is very poor and
degraded for all stations measures; unfortunately it
is an alarming results for public services; so
assessment and treatment become essential to
insure the water requirements of the region.
Industrial plants equipped with water treatment
units discharge the water directly into the River;
Water discharged from industry has various
chemical parameters (heavy metals organic
pollutants) with higher concentration than the
wastewater from the city [21, 22].
IV. CONCLUSION
The adoption of the Water Quality
Evaluation system (WQES) for the three basins in
the North West of Algeria is applied. The WQES
gives a very accurate water quality by means of
different classes that range from blue to red with
quality indexes enabling the monitoring of surface
water quality.
The results revealed that more than 60 % of the
measures stations have a very bad quality (Iorg= 5)
for different type of indexes. The critical shortage
of water in the west of Algeria caused by the
irregular precipitation and the high consumption of
surface water are the principle mineral alteration.

The abundance of organic pollution is related to the
human activities, industrial plants, showing organic
pollution domination in overall the three basins and
particularly the station close to the agglomerations:
Tiaret, Mascara, Sidi Bel Abbes, Tlemcen, and
Maghnia.
Total Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu) and
Mercury (Hg) are considered to be the most
significant heavy metals influencing the water
quality in the west of Algeria. The concentrations
of these metals in water surface were higher than
the WHO recommendation
The thresholds of parameters for African
countries must be revised in accordance with the
geographic situation of surface water and the
shortage water must be taken into account. It might
also be more efficient to give more attention to the
waste water treatment plant (WWTP), Insufficient
treatment (WWTP malfunction), the
ineffectiveness of the treatment may be caused by
the pollutant concentration load too high to treat, so
the waters undergo treatment before being rejected
into the waters courses to avoid water quality
degradation.
Finally, according to the methodology of
WQES, the Global Quality Index (GQI) indicates a
very poor and degraded quality for the study area.
Unfortunately it is an alarming result for public
services, so qualitative assessment and treatment of
water becomes essential to insure the water
requirements of the region.
The WQES is a necessary tool for
decision-makers such as managers, technicians,
users and politicians. Therefore, thresholds values
of chemical parameters have to be adjusted with
Algerian regulations and WHO recommendations.
The WQES can be adopted and spreads out of all
the rest of Algerian regions and be generalized on
North Africa countrie in the near future.
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An Evaluation System of Surface Water Quality in Algeria (Application on the Western Algerian Catchements)

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