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Excess water in Ouargla: Present situation and perspectives for improvement Volume 18, issue 3, septembre 2007

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École Fénelon du paysage et de l’environnement, 1, rue du Montauban, 93410 Vaujours

The oasis of Ouargla, like many constructed areas of the Algerian part of the Sahara, is at present affected by rising of the surface expanse of water. This situation is due to waste removal of drainage waters and household waters. At present non-treated household waters and drainage waters are mixed and evacuated towards sites that are near constructed areas. Such liquid waste can cause extensive pollution. Ponds often overflow, causing olfactory discomfort and favouring insalubrity and the general degradation of sanitary conditions. Such waste waters could be separated and recycled after treatment in stabilization pools, a time-proven and cheap process. Indeed, sophisticated systems of water treatment are poorly suited to developing countries. Recycling of waste waters would make it possible to save underground water resources, the only ones available. As for drainage waters, too salty to be recycled, they could be evacuated towards the Safioune sebkha which is far enough away to avoid any affects of overflow into inhabited zones. To reduce their volume at the source, better irrigation management is proposed.