Characterization of physico-chemical and mineralogical quality of drinking water from four areas of the city of Marrakech, Morocco

The study concerns the analysis of physical-chemical and mineralogical parameters (pH, conductivity, oxidizability, hardness, chlorides, ammonium, nitrates, nitrites, sulphates, orthophosphate, sodium, potassium, calcium and lead) to establish a diagnosis of pollution in drinking water. Thus, water samples were taken from four areas ( Medina, Mrabtine, Azzouzia, Chouiter) that were monitored over an entire annual cycle in wet period and dry period (in four campaigns). For a total of 320 samples, the dosage of the physico-chemical and mineralogical parameters have been performed according to standards for three types of drinking waters namely: treated networks water, treated well water and untreated well water. Application of principal component analysis (PCA) on the physicochemical and mineralogical data gives us two water varieties: a variety characterized by increased levels of conductivity, hardness and ammonium for Azzouzia area and increased levels of chlorides, hardness, ammonium and nitrites for Mrabtine area and a variety of water whose contents are consistent with national and international standards of WHO for the Medina and the Chouiter area. Human activities (wastewater discharges, agricultural and industrial activities) are the main cause of this drinking water pollution of in the Mrabtine and the Azzouzia area.