The National Office of Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE) recently launched a new MAD 50 Mln project to improve the drinking water supply in the province of Moulay Yacoub, located near Fez in northern Morocco.
The project started in late July and was designed to address water shortages from droughts, Morocco’s News Agency (MAP) reported on Thursday.
The initiative covers the installation of 22 km of pipes with a 500 mm diameter, the construction and equipment of two pump stations linked to the electrical network, as well as the creation of two water reservoirs with capacities of 1,000 m³ and 800 m³, respectively.
“Fully financed by ONEE, the project spans 11 municipalities with a total population of 200,000 residents in Moulay Yacoub,” Imane Amrani, Head of Operations and Maintenance at the ONEE provincial office in Fez told MAP.
Amrani said that Morocco faced a water shortage at the beginning of the summer that disrupted supplies in several communities, including “Sbaâ Rwadi, Laâjajra,” and surrounding villages, often leading to water cuts.
She reported a significant drop in water flow at the Aïn Boukhnafer well sites that caused a shortfall of over 50%, going from 60 liters per second (1/s) to under 30 1/s.
ONEE introduced a distribution program in collaboration with local authorities to address the situation. Despite the challenges, the Moulay Yacoub center kept its supplies at normal levels, according to Amrani.
The Office expedited the water supply reinforcement project by utilizing production facilities in Fez, served by the Idriss First Dam, to address the shortfall.
“The new pumping stations are now producing a flow rate of 150 l/s,” she asserted. “The initiative would meet the medium- and long-term water needs of Moulay Yacoub, Sbaâ Rwadi, and Laâjajra.”
The second phase of the project entails extending the water supply to the municipalities of Sebt Loudaya, Mikkess, and Sidi Daoud.
Amrani highlighted Morocco’s recent droughts and the high cost of water resources, urging citizens to “rationalize their use of drinking water” and consume it responsibly.