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Purpose The present study is undertaken in the region of Guelma that is located in North-Eastern Algeria. Guelma’s agricultural plain is irrigated from the Seybouse ephemeral river (wadi). The latter collects the entire domestic and industrial wastewaters of the region that are discharged without prior treatment. Hence, the organic and biological or what so ever contributions to the wadi are capable of initiating a significant degradation of its waters’ quality and challenging their use for irrigation. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The interpretation of the results of three sampling campaigns for chemical and bacteriological analyzes was carried out in terms of the indices’ method (organic pollution index (OPI) and microbiological quality index (MQI)). The results were statistically assessed through the use of the principal component analysis (PCA). The OPI was calculated according to the method of Leclercq and Maquet (1987) whose principle is to classify the contents for the polluting elements into 5 classes each class corresponding to a given range for the considered parameter, and then to calculate the overall average class number for each sample. The MQI depends on the water concentrations in: the total coliforms, the fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci. One defines five classes of concentrations for each of these parameters. The MQI is again the overall mean of the numbers for the classes for every parameter. Findings The OPI reflects a moderate pollution for most sampling stations. The PCA indicates that the variables controlling salinity are mainly Cl−, Na+ and SO42−. In August 2016, El-Fedjoudj pumping station shows a very strong fecal contamination. According to the recommendations of World Health Organization (1989), waters from wadi Seybouse cannot be used for the irrigation of vegetable crops if they were to be consumed raw. Originality/value This study has an environment impact as it reveals the need to protect surface waters used for irrigation and therefore protect consumers of raw vegetables that are to be consumed uncooked.

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The study of the Continental Intercalary (C.I) groundwater of the region of Timimoune (southwestern Algeria), based on physico-chemical data (major elements), allowed to understand the geochemistry of foggaras water. The aquifer is contained in the formations of the Lower Cretaceous (Albian and Barremian). The waters are strongly mineralized with an average value 2g / l.The waters have a clear predominance of facies chlorinated-sodium. The risk is high to excessive soil salinization, and the risk of medium alkalinity to very high.Statistical analysis led us to reach two conclusions, the first is that, variable electrical conductivity (EC), dry residue (RS), Na + , Ca 2+ , Cl -, SO 4 --, mineralization, are best correlated and responsible the signing of the mineral load of water, the second is that the nitrate ion (NO 3 -) opposite to the above-mentioned variables mark its anthropogenic origin.