Characterization, classification, bacteriological, and evaluation of groundwater from 24 wells in six departments of Algeria

This is a conducted study of the physicochemical and the bacteriological characteristics of groundwater from 24 wells in the six departments of Algeria: Mostaganem, Mecheria, Naama, Tiaret, Bechar, and Adrar. The six departments and surrounding areas depend heavily on water from wells as a resource for drinking water, as well as domestic, industrial, and agricultural uses. Understanding the groundwater chemistry provides insight into the interactions of water with the environment and contributes to better resource management. In total, 24 water samples from wells have been analyzed for major physical-chemical elements and metals. The results show that the water have pH values ranging between 7.1 and 8.2, salinity between 213 and 1,273 mg/L, and nitrate concentrations between 30 and 48.7 mg/L. The high concentration of nitrates is explained by the utilization of chemical fertilizers in agriculture. Almost all the samples are of type Na-SO4 and Na-HCO3, and the trace metal concentrations are within the admissible standard ranges. The bacteriological analysis of 24 samples analyzed showed that nine samples (nos. 3, 5, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 22, and 23) are contaminated. We conclude that the groundwater samples may safely be used for drinking, domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes with the exception of the following samples: nos. 3, 5, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17, 22, and 23.