Morocco tenders for northern waterway

Morocco has launched a tender to build a waterway connecting two northern dams to ensure supply to Tangier industrial region.

The project emulates the success of the waterway that carries water from the northwest to Rabat and Casablanca and which spared the two cities water cuts.

Morocco is currently suffering the sixth year of drought in a row which left its main dams at critical levels and forced authorities to take restrictive measures.

This week, many Moroccan large cities ordered restrictions relating to water use in public baths and banned using drinking water to irrigate parks, golfs while limiting swimming pool fillings to once a year.

In this respect, the northern waterway will help channel 100 cubic meters of water from the Oued Makhazine Dam to Dar El khorfa reservoir which supplies industrial activity in Tangier region.

The 60-km waterway is expected to be ready in two years for a total cost of about 506 million dirhams.

Rainfall shortage this year was 67% lower compared to a normal year, according to the Moroccan water minister.

Morocco is also stepping up its desalination projects, notably in large cities such as Casablanca, besides taking measures to preserve ground water.

In Errachidia, authorities banned the water intensive cultivation of melons for fear of depleting already scarce ground water.