Pollution and vulnerability of the Hennaya aquifer by DRASIC method

The Hennaya plain in the northwest of Algeria which is used for agricultural purposes is constantly under the direct influence of human activities (urban and industrial waste fertilizers irrigation with treated wastewater leachate from the CET of Tlemcen). It contains an alluvial water table of 29 Km2 and a capacity of 22 million m3 constitutes the first source for irrigation. The degradation of the quality of the water of this table and their protection has become a major concern for water managers. To address these concerns a methodological approach has been proposed based on the mapping of the vulnerability of the aquifer to pollution. The evaluation of the vulnerability to pollution of the Hennaya aquifer was based mainly on the integral analysis of intrinsic parameters acting directly on the propagation of a pollutant and recommended by the DRASTIC method. The map obtained shows three classes of vulnerability; a strong vulnerability covers 8.15% of the area. These areas are characterized by intensive agriculture and nitrates in groundwater are 108 mg/l in 2011.