Rabat – The Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament and Government Spokesperson, Mustapha Baitas, confirmed on Thursday that the completion rate of the water interconnection project between the Oued El Makhazine and Dar Khrofa dams reached 96 percent as of January 29, and it is expected to begin operation next February.
Mr. Baitas explained, in response to journalists' questions during a press briefing following the weekly meeting of the Government Council, that safety tests for the pipes against leaks are currently being carried out on the remaining approximately 11 kilometers, and the filling of the pipes will begin immediately after the completion of these tests.
The Minister noted that the project to connect the Oued El Makhazine and Dar Khrofa dams is part of the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation, which receives high royal attention, and relates to the second phase of the connection between the Loukkos and Tangier systems, to transfer surplus water to the concerned areas, following the start of the operation of the first phase in 2021, which was completed between the Dar Khrofa dam and the Al-Hashaf treatment plant, which will allow for the transfer of a total annual volume estimated at 75 million cubic meters according to the capacity of the water conveyance pipes.
He continued that the project aims to transfer 100 million cubic meters from the Oued El Makhazine dam towards the Dar Khrofa dam, to secure the supply of the Tangier hub with drinking water, and to limit the loss of surplus water recorded downstream of the Oued El Makhazine dam during rainy periods, noting that its cost amounts to 820 million dirhams.
Regarding the major water interconnection project between the Sebou, Bouregreg, and Oum Er-Rbia basins, Mr. Baitas said that "the government succeeded in supplying Rabat with drinking water within the set deadlines," explaining that this project aims in its entirety to transfer a surplus estimated at 1,200 cubic meters, to enhance the supply of drinking water to the Marrakech region, the Rabat and Casablanca area, the Doukkala, Beni Amir, and Beni Moussa irrigation districts, and to preserve the Berrechid aquifer used to meet agricultural needs.
He continued that in light of the current situation characterized by scarce resources, and within the framework of the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation 2020-2027, the first emergency phase connecting Rabat and Sebou has been completed, adding that other stages will currently be completed by increasing the transfer flow from the Sebou and Bouregreg basin to 45 cubic meters per second, so that the average amount of water transferred between the two basins will reach 800 million cubic meters per year.
According to the Minister, the Bouregreg water basin will be connected starting from the Al-Massira dam with a flow of 30 cubic meters per second, which will be completed over a length of 109 kilometers, noting that the studies related to this phase are expected to be completed by next March, in addition to the third phase related to connecting the Oued Laou and Loukkos basins to the Sebou basin, with a flow of 20 to 30 cubic meters per second.
On the other hand, the Minister said that the works on seawater desalination are progressing significantly, noting that the production of desalinated water increased from 192 to 277 million cubic meters, an increase of 44 percent, adding that the government is making a great effort and with very large financial resources within the framework of the project to ensure the supply of drinking water and irrigation water.
This article Completion rate of the water interconnection project between the Oued El Makhazine and Dar Khrofa dams reached 96 percent and it is expected to begin operation next February (Mr. Baitas) first appeared on Map Ecology.
