Assessment of the Microbiological Quality of Groundwater in Tipaza Region, Algeria

Groundwater contamination is now a global issue, especially in the northern part of the country where urban development in coastal towns has led to an increase in the population's demand for water and to overexploitation of groundwater resources. This has put pressure on the resource and led to a deterioration of its quality. The present study reports the assessment of microbiological characteristics of different groundwater sources in the region of Tipaza. The study involved carrying out a detailed survey of over 200 sampling points. In the first stage, a careful examination of the historical water quality data was conducted, removing springs that were not intended for human consumption, those impacted by drought, and those that that had already been tapped and treated. Following this, a carefully selected list of nineteen springs was chosen for further study.  The results revealed that, of the 19 springs surveyed, only one met the drinking water quality criteria, while the rest were of poor bacteriological quality, with the pollution indicators analyzed: faecal coliforms, streptococcus, E. coli and sulphate-reducing bacteria, exceeding the limit recommended by the Algerian Water Quality Guidelines for groundwater intended for human consumption (no risk target water quality range: 0 count/ 100 ml for E.Coli,  0 count in 100 ml for streptococcus bacteria 0 count/20ml for sulphate-reducing bacteria).