Morocco’s National Electricity and Drinking Water Company (ONEE) is improving the supply of drinking water to the residents of Sidi Ali El Korati, a local authority in the province of Essaouira, in the Marrakech-Safi region. This is thanks to new hydraulic facilities recently commissioned by the Moroccan state-owned company. The project, which is nearing completion, is part of the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), launched in 2015 in the Kingdom of Morocco with the aim of combating poverty, precariousness and social exclusion.
The work involved building and equipping a pumping station, two semi-underground reservoirs with a capacity of 150 m3, two other semi-underground reservoirs with a capacity of 100 m3 and three recovery stations with tanks. The locality of Sidi Ali El Korati has been equipped with a 100 km distribution network to serve residents via 94 new standpipes.
According to ONEE, the work required an investment of 50 million Moroccan dirhams, or more than 4.5 million euros. In addition to improving the supply of drinking water, the new water installations will help to limit the impact of water stress, which is a manifestation of drought.
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In this context, ONEE is also banking on the desalination of sea water. In May 2023, the Moroccan state-owned company launched the construction of a desalination plant in Essaouira. The future plant will have a capacity of almost 53 million m3 per year. The seawater treated by this facility will serve both households and farmers.
Inès Magoum