Investigation of overexploitation groundwater in arid areas: case of the lower Jurassic aquifer, Bechar province Southwest of Algeria

Abstract

The conservation of natural non-renewable water resources is an important part of the expectations of the Algerian population, especially in the south of the country. Groundwater is provided in the southwest of Algeria, and the demand for water is high including agriculture. Studies have shown that the quality of these resources has changed after many years of continuous exploitation. To meet the satisfaction and the need for drinking water, for the city of Bechar, located in southwest Algeria, technicians and decision-makers have sought additional water resources, namely in the Jurassic groundwater located at the region of Mougheul (Sahara Algerian). The intense use of pumping at Mougheul has led to serious local problems (rapid drawdown and drying up of the source). The obtained results reveal that the piezometric charts, established in October 2001 and November 2009, show that the main flow of water is from north to south, exactly to the source of Mougheul. The flow rates of the drillings made are very varied, and between 6 and 30 l/s, this amounts to the heterogeneity of the medium. The pumping tests give low transmissivity values varying between 3.22 10–5 and 5.49 10−3 m2/s.