In the Casablanca-Settat region, the authorities are taking new measures to secure access to drinking water for the population. Unveiled by the Governor of Casablanca-Settat, Mohamed Mhidia, they came into force on January 23, 2024.
For the past week, washing cars, streets, squares and public spaces with drinking water has been banned on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And on the days when this is allowed, car washes and bathrooms are asked to rationalize their consumption of drinking water.
In the most densely populated region of the Cherifian kingdom, with almost 7.6 million inhabitants by 2022, the planting of lawns, whether by administrations or private individuals, and gardening companies and nurseries “must comply with this rule or face sanctions”, warns Mohamed Mhidia.
Drinking water: when human lives take precedence over development
Watering green spaces and playgrounds is now done with non-potable water or well water. The filling of public and private swimming pools is authorized only once a year, on condition that these pools are equipped with water recycling systems (the principle is to filter and purify waste water to make it reusable, editor’s note). Since January 23, 2024, the illegal practice of pumping or diverting water from wells, water sources and water networks has also been punished.
Casablanca-Settat is also planning awareness campaigns to encourage water consumers, both large and small, to save drinking water and avoid wastage.These campaigns will be organized by public authorities, water companies and civil society associations. These decisions will remain in force until the water situation improves in the Moroccan region.
In fact, like several other Moroccan regions, Casablanca-Settat is suffering from an exceptional drought, now entering its sixth consecutive year. One of the major consequences has been the drying-up of surface water, which has quickly led people to turn to drinking water to supply their activities, to the detriment of household survival.
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These restrictions come at a time when work on the largest seawater desalination plant in the Kingdom of North Africa was launched on January 23, 2024 by the Spanish group Acciona. The company is implementing the water project in consortium with Moroccan companies Afriquia Gaz and Green of Africa. The future plant will supply Moroccans with 300 million m3 of water per year by 2030, from the Bouregreg and Oum Er Rbia basins.
Inès Magoum