Hydrogeological and hydro-geochemical study of the water wellfields of Loubet, Nice Region – France

Growing population in the krast area of the Alpes Maritimes (Loubet and Breil sur Roya) associated with urban sprawl and development of recreational activities in the adjacent mountain areas has led to increased use of the krast ground water and surface water. In this study, we use a set of hydrological, statistical and hydro-geochemical analyses to characterize the water capturing of Loubet, Nice area – France. The results from the geochemical analysis show that freshwater drawn from the wellfield of Loubet is characterized by a dominant mixed bicarbonate facies (other ions are minor) and a higher amount of sodium chloride. Therefore, the concentration and conductivity of these waters represent a significant evolution in recent years. This demonstrates that the change of minerals is not associated to the increase of residence time or to the spin mixing with salted water. However, it is related to the lithology and crossed rock dissolution in contact with these waters.