The projects were launched Tuesday, July 14, in the rural municipality of Tachraft, in Khouribga Province, as part of events marking the 27th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s accession to the throne.
The program is intended to strengthen water security across the province by increasing the production, storage, and transmission of water drawn from the Aït Massoud Dam.
Khouribga, a major phosphate-mining center about 120 kilometers southeast of Casablanca, has faced growing pressure on its water infrastructure as population needs rise and Morocco continues to contend with recurring drought.
Tarik Hamane, director general of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE), told the Moroccan news agency MAP that the program would increase drinking water production at the treatment plant connected to the Aït Massoud Dam.
It also includes the construction of two reservoirs, each with a capacity of 25,000 cubic meters, and the reinforcement of pipelines linking the production facility to Khouribga. Some of the new pipes will have a diameter of up to 1,000 millimeters.
Hamane said the projects would increase production and storage capacity while improving the long-term reliability of drinking water supplies for the region.
The first two phases of the pipeline reinforcement project are expected to enter service in December, while work to expand drinking water production is due to be completed within two years.
According to technical data provided by ONEE, the program will benefit about 656,000 residents.
The project also includes an expansion of the treatment plant’s demineralization unit, which will add capacity of 330 liters per second, as well as three phases of work to reinforce the water transmission network.
