Citation:
Abstract:
Located in north-east Algerian, the coastal aquifer of Taleza constitutes a significant source of groundwater. It contains hundreds of private wells installed by the population for several purposes including drinking water. Recently, the groundwater has become quite saline; in order to investigate this issue, hydrochemical and isotopic groundwater characterization is carried out, including the analyses of major elements and water stable isotopes d2H-H2O and d18O-H2O. Results confirmed a saltwater intrusion, and interestingly, the intrusion mechanism appears to be more complex than a direct intrusion from the Mediterranean Sea. During the high-water period, saltwater intrusion may also originate from the two rivers bordering the aquifer, via upstream migration of seawater through the river mouths. The heavier ratios in d2H-H2O and d18O-H2O of surface water collected from the rivers suggest that the Mediterranean Sea water is mixing with rivers water. The present study shows that seawater may exert deleterious impacts on groundwater quality and greatly limit conditions for the sustainable groundwater management.