The aim of this study is to assess the quality of water for drinking in the rural area of the city of Al-Hoceima, in order to measure the health risks to which people who use it for their needs are exposed. A cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was carried out on 60 households selected randomly. Well and spring water samples (8 wells and 8 springs) were collected in November and December 2019 and analyzed according to the standard methods of water analysis. The survey indicated that water consumed by 80.00% of households does not receive any prior treatment. With the lack of a collective excreta and wastewater management system in the municipality, 99.00% of households have latrines, 50.00% of which are installed within 15meters of the water source. The bacteriological analyses indicate that all the sampled points are contaminated by fecal contamination germs. This poor quality may be due to various anthropogenic activities, and the presence of non-standardized septic tanks. Therefore, protecting and improving water sources must be accompanied by adequate measures of disinfection of these waters before their use.

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Water is a precious natural resource for life, and more vulnerable to different contaminations; it has become less and less drinkable because it is polluted and can carry pathogenic germs that cause water diseases. The population of the Al-Hoceima region is supplied with drinking water from the network of the National Drinking Water Board, which is not widespread in rural areas where there is the frequent use of communal water points (spring or well). Health concerns remain related to the consumption of untreated well water, in the absence of a department responsible for the management of well water (development, equipment, treatment, protection, and quality control). To preserve the health of the population from any source of contamination carried by water, the Ministry of Health, carries out, through the provincial hygiene services, the control and monitoring of the physical-chemical and bacteriological quality of water in the framework of the fight against water diseases. The objective of this work was to determine the state of groundwater quality in the Al-Hoceima region, based on the study of physicochemical and bacteriological parameters. A control of 41 collective water points was carried out, including 30 wells and 11 springs. The collected samples were analyzed to measure some physical parameters: electrical conductivity, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen, possibly looking for indicator germs of fecal contamination, namely coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, and intestinal enterococci. The results revealed fecal contamination of all collective water points by coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli. Appropriate measures must be taken for the disinfection of these waters before their use.

The purpose of the water sources study according to the opinion of the users in the region of Al-Hoceima, is to present a classification of investigated sources according to physico-chemical and microbiological quality, and to compare the obtained results with the sanitary survey taken from users. The region’s groundwater is known for its low piezometry and, consequently, for its easy and uncontrolled exploitation. Indeed, the lack of drinking water supply in several rural areas or among some vulnerable categories of the population forces them to use water sources for all purposes, including drinking. Moreover, in urban areas and with the availability of treated drinking water, people resort to supplying water from a source as traditions and cultural customs of the users predominate. The public survey results in this study confirm, according to the majority of witnesses, that drinking from these sources is continual, as 50% of the consumers live in the area and they do not have any digestive or intestinal problems; these water sources are more frequented in summer and at weekends. Furthermore, the majority of respondents consider these waters to be healthy and not subject to chemical treatment, and they represent a natural heritage with a good reputation among the population of the region.