In Marrakech, relentless efforts for sustainable wastewater management
Hibapress / MAP
The wastewater treatment plant and reuse network, managed by the Autonomous Water and Electricity Distribution Authority of Marrakech (RADEEMA), is a key initiative in the fight against water stress affecting the Ochre city.
This ambitious project, implemented in execution of the High Royal Directives aimed at mitigating the impact of water stress, plays an essential role in the irrigation of the city’s green spaces, including the palm grove and the 14 golf courses of Marrakech.
Since its commissioning, the station has, in fact, made it possible to reuse up to 12 million cubic metres of purified water per year for the irrigation of golf courses and palm groves, and has also contributed significantly to the preservation of drinking water resources by limiting their use to non-essential purposes.
RADEEMA plans to expand its capacity to reach up to 35 million cubic meters of water by 2030, mobilizing treated wastewater not only for watering green spaces, but also for industrial projects, thus contributing to economic development while respecting the environment.
On this occasion, Adil Daoudi, administrative and financial director of RADEEMA, noted that this wastewater treatment and reuse project is part of a plan to mitigate the impact of water stress in Marrakech.
It is not only aimed at irrigating green spaces and palm groves, but also the city’s 14 golf courses, with a current supply of 12 million cubic meters of water per year for these uses, Mr. Daoudi said in a statement to MAP. “We are soon considering mobilizing purified water for industrial projects, with a target of 35 million cubic meters by 2030,” he stressed.
Mouhssine Benchikh, head of the reuse network at the Marrakech station, for his part, stressed the essential role played by projects of this type in the sustainable management of water in Marrakech.
“We are working closely with local authorities to optimise the use of this precious resource,” he said, noting that the station is a model for other cities facing similar challenges.
This innovative approach is, according to him, in line with the High Royal Guidelines for preserving water resources and addressing the problem of water stress, emphasizing the imperative need for rational and optimal water management to support the various measures undertaken in this area.
For his part, Khalid Bchouri, state engineer for the municipality of Marrakech, indicated that agreements have been concluded with RADEEMA to avoid the use of groundwater for the purposes of irrigating green spaces.
To date, he said, 50% of these areas are irrigated by treated water from these plants, and the rest is planned to be integrated into this system in the near future.
This RADEEMA initiative illustrates not only the importance of wastewater reuse in preserving drinking water resources, but also Marrakech’s ability to prepare for future environmental challenges.
By strengthening its efforts for sustainable management, the city is showing the way forward for other regions of Morocco, where water stress is also a major issue.
In accordance with the High Royal Guidelines, a series of strategic projects to respond to the challenges posed by the water problem was launched within the framework of the National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program (PNAEPI) for an execution period ranging from 2020 to 2027 and an initial cost of 115 billion dirhams.
These projects were also accompanied by the implementation of several urgent actions, launched since 2020, mainly aimed at securing the drinking water supply for the entire population of the Kingdom, in particular the completion of several wastewater reuse projects to reach a volume of 37 million cubic meters per year for the watering of 31 golf courses and green spaces in 17 cities and the launch of a very ambitious complementary program to mobilize 137 million cubic meters by 2027 to water the remaining 19 golf courses as well as other projects for agricultural and industrial uses in particular.
