Hydrogeochemical of Oued Ouerrha and Oued Sra, Taounate (Rif, Morocco)

Abstract—The superficial waters of Taounate district are particularly affected by the pollution problem that threatens their physicochemical quality. The city of Taounate, because of its growing demography, these superficial watercourses are currently threatened by wastewaters discharges. In order to establish a diagnosis of their state of pollution, water samples were taken at two stations on OuedOuerrha and two others on its tributary OuedSra, to make a comparison between these two watercourses.

The physicochemical characterization of downstream stations, especially in OuedSra, shows high levels in terms of BOD₅ (180 mg/L), COD (288 mg/L), and MES (152 mg/L), with a pH of 8,00 and a decrease in dissolved oxygen levels (4,8 mg/L) due essentially to urban discharges from the city of Taounate.

Otherwise, the influences of liquid discharges would certainly lead to the degradation of the quality of these waters. This situation may be aggravated by climate change, whose consequences could have adverse effects on the potential of water resources, both in terms of quantity and quality.