Morocco/NEO accelerates the desalination water supply project

Five cities are involved.

Water is becoming an increasingly scarce resource, and therefore precious. Its preservation and optimization are the subject of several programs at the highest level of the State in Morocco. In this perspective, water desalination is one of the projects on which the country is banking. And for good reason, desalination allowing to obtain fresh water from brackish or salty water is an effective way to fight against water stress. This solution represents a strong potential, especially in arid coastal areas at a time when the need for water is constantly increasing. In this perspective, the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) - water branch is working to ensure the implementation of the water supply treatede to supply several cities, namely Casablanca, Settat, Berrechid, Azemmour and El Jadida from the future desalination plant (200 Mm3 / year expandable to 300 Mm3 / year). It is useful to recall that currently the drinking water supply of the Atlantic coast of the region of Casablanca-Settat is ensured by conventional water resources mobilized from the basins of Oum Er Rbia and Bouregreg-Chaouia.

The strengthening of the drinking water supply system in the perimeter of the said area will be carried out from the future desalination plant planned near the center of Sidi Rahhal about 40 km south-west of Casablanca, explains ONEE. In order to move forward with this project, it is first necessary to update, criticize and analyze the results of the various previous studies, before defining the most appropriateBefore defining the optimal variant of treated water conveyance for the reinforcement of the drinking water supply of the concerned localities. Subsequently, the design of this drinking water supply project will be carried out by optimizing the location and design of the various components, such as the pumping station. This project implies the design of structures offering a better flexibility of operation while integrating with the existing structures. In the field, it is necessary to define within the framework of this project the location and the number of pumping stations essential to pump water from the desalination plant outlet to the distribution reservoirs, the method of pumping and the location of the pumping stations.The project will also need to define the location and number of pumping stations required to pump water from the desalination plant to the distribution tanks, the method of transporting the treated water and the possibility of using the existing conveyances according to the transit capacities.

This project will also have to establish the diameter, the route, the nature and the method of laying the pipes, taking into account the flows to be transited, the possibilities of laying pipes. It should be noted that the possible routes of the pipes will be defined according to the difficulties of the crossed grounds such as the slopes and unstable slopes with falls of blocks of big dimensions. In addition, an environmental impact study on the future power line (400 KV) over approximately 55 km from the existing line Chammaia-Laaouamer will be conducted. This is based on the requirements of sustainable development and the guidelines adopted by the Office. In its project, ONEE intends to rely on an extensive study area to involve all direct and indirect effects of this site.

Thus, not only the components of the environment directly affected by the project will be studied, but also those that are indirectly affected, notably the components of the human environment (for example, the quality of life, the socio-economic environment or the health of the population). The natural environment includes the river system, the shape of the terrain and relief, the climate, the ambient air, the fauna and flora, the aquatic environment and the ecological system. The human environment covers the socio-economic framework of the populations, the mapping of the land use, the space and development affected by the project infrastructures, the characterization of the acoustic environment in the vicinity of the project sites, and the environmental impact of the project.risation of the acoustic environment in the vicinity of the station sites, the industrial development project in the study area, the archaeological and cultural potentialities, as well as the tourist sites.

Source: aujourdhui.ma