Quality and Vulnerability of Alterite Aquifer Waters in Agboville: the Grand-Morié Azaguie Subprefectures

The objective of this study is to examine the hygienic quality of several alterite aquifers in Grand-Morié and Azaguié in the Agboville department. A hydrochemical and microbiological analysis of 20 wells used for drinking water and domestic activities was conducted. Multivariate statistical analysis techniques, the calculation of the purification capacity (Md), and the Fecal Contamination Index (FCI) of groundwater are the various methods used in this study. More than 85% of the wells studied have an Md < 1, indicating that they are highly vulnerable to bacteriological and/or chemical contamination. This water is acidic, with an average pH of 6.13. Overall, the water is soft and low in minerals, with an average electrical conductivity of 218.2 µS/cm. More than one-third (35%) and one-twentieth of the wells, respectively, have nitrite and ammonium concentrations exceeding the WHO standard (2008). The groundwater has been heavily contaminated by fecal pathogens. Thermotolerant coliforms are the most abundant pathogens. These waters have undergone significant fecal contamination with an average FCI of 7.2.