Water quality analysis of reservoirs within Western Algeria catchment areas using water quality index CCME WQI Abdelkader Hamlat, Abdellatif El-Bari Tidjani, Djillali Yebdri, Mohamed Errih and Azeddine Guidoum ABSTRACT The present paper aims at determining the status and trends in water quality at Western Algeria reservoirs. The method consists of the computation of Water Quality Index (WQI) on the basis of the physical–chemical quality parameters that were registered at the monitoring stations placed at the reservoirs. This WQI was applied to water quality data collected from 2001 to 2010. Results revealed that the overall surface water quality mainly fell into the marginal class in all reservoirs, expect Hammam Boughrara reservoir where water quality fell into the poor category. This implies that the water quality of this reservoir is almost always threatened or impaired; conditions usually depart from natural or desirable levels. The low value of the index was registered in 2005 at the following monitoring stations: Hammam Boughrara – 26.5%, Sikkak – 33.5%, and Cheurfa – 41.2%. This low level of WQI can be attributed to a number of variables and tests that exceed or are less than the objectives. This study showed that the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment’s WQI (CCME WQI) may assist water managers to integrate and interpret the picture of overall water quality in the study area. Abdelkader Hamlat (corresponding author) Azeddine Guidoum Civil Engineering Department, Laboratory of Water Resource, Soil and Environment, University of Laghouat, P.O. Box: 37 G, Road of Ghardaïa, Laghouat, Algeria E-mail: hamlat2002dz@yahoo.fr Abdellatif El-Bari Tidjani Djillali Yebdri Mohamed Errih University of Science and Technology ‘Mohamed Boudhiaf’ Oran, P.O. Box 1505, El-Mnaouer, Oran 31000, Algeria Key words | CCME WQI, Hammam Boughrara reservoir, physical–chemical parameter, water quality index, Western Algeria reservoirs INTRODUCTION Water is one of the most important natural resources to sustain life. Ascertaining its quality is very crucial before use for water drinking, agricultural, aquatic life, recreational, or industrial purposes. However, all available water bodies are not suitable for all different uses. The scale of socio-economic activities such as urbanization, industrial operations, and agricultural production, has reached a level where they interfere not only with natural processes within the same watershed, but also have a world-wide impact on water resources (Helmer ). At the present time, to safeguard freshwater resources, it is important to develop a comprehensive river water quality monitoring program all over the world. Maintaining or improving the water quality of reservoirs is of particular concern. In fact, it is considered now as one of the key factors in the operation and water quality management of reservoirs, particularly in regions that are exposed to high variations of climatology. Algeria had for over 20 years a severe and persistent drought where its spec- trum began to be felt in the west of the country especially (Meddi & Hubert ). In addition, and, according to a report of the European Economic Community (EEC) on the situation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Algeria, treatment plants have a ‘bad reputation’, being structural units intended to fall into disuse because of a high degree of technical sophistication, lack of management skills, and/or a lack of funding (CNES ). Studies show that there is a significant amount of wastewater that con- tinues to spread into the environment without treatment, although the treatment plant has sufficient capacity (MRE ). Remedial proposals from previous studies in the field 311 © IWA Publishing 2014 Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology—AQUA | 63.4 | 2014 doi: 10.2166/aqua.2013.226 Downloaded from https://iwaponline.com/aqua/article-pdf/63/4/311/400880/311.pdf by guest on 03 June 2020