Evaluation of the impact of wastewater in the rural commune of Jmaa Moulblad on the bacteriological water quality of the Grou River (Rabat region, Morocco)

In the region of Rabat, shallow watercourses are currently threatened by the magnitude of urban and industrial discharges, mainly due to its growing demography and the continuous development of the agricultural and industrial sectors. This study aims to evaluate the impact of wastewater from the rural commune of Jmaa Moulblad on the bacteriological water qualityof the Grou River. In order to measure the pollution levels of this watercourse, our study focused on the enumeration of fecal contamination indicator bacteria such as total coliforms (TC), faecal coliforms (FC) and intestinal enterococci (EI), as well as the detection of salmonella. Water samples were taken by season during the 2016/2017 period at four stations on the Grou River. The results obtained describe a worrying state of the watercourse, particularly at the S 2 station located directly at the mouth of the wastewater of the rural commune of Jmaa Moulblad which is rejected without prior treatment. If protective measures are not taken, the perpetual degradation of the quality of these waters would certainly lead to the loss of this watercourse, which is of paramount importance in the region.