Comparative approach of three popular intrinsic vulnerability methods: case of the Beni Amir groundwater (Morocco)
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Comparative approach of three popular intrinsic vulnerability methods: case of the Beni Amir groundwater (Morocco) Najat Knouz 1 & Abdelghani Boudhar 2 & El Mostafa Bachaoui 1 & Charkaoui Saadi 3 Received: 4 August 2017 / Accepted: 14 May 2018 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2018
Abstract The study of the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater resources to pollution is an effective tool to control their quality degradation and contribute to their protection. It is used to delimit the vulnerable zones which do not withstand a large flow of pollutants introduced from the soil surface. Three methods of assessing the intrinsic vulnerability of groundwater: DRASTIC (Depth to water table, Recharge, Aquifer, Soil type, Topography, Impact of zone vadose, Hydraulic conductivity), DRSTI, and GOD (Groundwater occurrence, Overall aquifer class and Depth of water table) coupled with a geographic information system (GIS) are applied to the groundwater of Beni Amir, and they are compared in order to adopt the method which better characterizes the vulnerability of the aquifer to pollution. The validation of this application was made by measurements of the nitrate levels in the aquifer. Because the pollution of groundwater, in this plain, is a direct consequence of agricultural activities characterized by an intensive fertilizer application. The results clearly show that the rate of the coincidence, between the measured nitrate concentrations and the different classes of vulnerability of three methods, is 81.81, 54.54, 72.72, and 27.27%, respectively, for methods DRASTIC (classification of Engel et al. (Int Assoc Hydrol Sci Publi 235:521–526, 1996)), DRASTIC (classifications of Aller et al. (1987)), DRSTI, and GOD. Of this rate of coincidences, the DRASTIC method, with the classification of Engel et al. (Int Assoc Hydrol Sci Publi 235:521–526, 1996), allows a finer assessment and turns out the most representative of the study area. Keywords Intrinsic vulnerability . Groundwater . GIS . DRSTI . DRASTIC . GOD
Introduction Overexploitation and pollution of groundwater are considered as a direct consequence of the combined effect of the global warming inducing a limited recharge and the rapid urbanization and the intensification of industrial and agricultural activities (Antonakos and Lambrakis 2007; Nobre et al. 2007; Atiqu 2008; Vorosmarty et al. 2000; Lezzaik et al. 2018; Carreira et al. 2014). In Morocco, most of the river basin is under a strong water deficit with a general decrease in water * Najat Knouz [email protected] 1
Laboratory of Remote Sensing and GIS applied to Geosciences and Environment, Faculty of Science and Technology, University Sultan Moulay Slimane, PB 523, Beni Mellal, Morocco
2
Research Team BManagement and development of water resources GEVARHY,^ Faculty of Science and Technology, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, PB 523, Beni Mellal, Morocco
3
Hydraulic Basin Agency Oum Er Rbia, Beni Mellal, Morocco
resource amount available from rainfall (Abahous et al. 2017; Jarlan et al. 2015;
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