Strategic Initiative for Sustainable Water Supply
The regional multi-service company for Fez-Meknes is gearing up to launch a comprehensive study aimed at crafting a roadmap to enhance and secure the supply of potable water across the region. This initiative comes at a time marked by continuous demographic growth, urban expansion, and escalating water stress. The financial outlay for this study, for which a call for proposals has been announced, amounts to 20 million dirhams. The primary objective is to prepare managerial plans for drinking water supply throughout the territories serviced by the Fez-Meknes multi-service company, encompassing the provinces of Fez and Meknes, as well as the regions of Moulay Yacoub, Sefrou, Taza, Taounate, El Hajeb, Ifrane, and Boulemane.
Comprehensive Assessment and Future Planning
The Fez-Meknes multi-service company, responsible for managing drinking water, electricity, and sewage services in the region, seeks to establish a planning framework that anticipates the evolving needs for drinking water while programming the necessary investments to ensure sustainable supply and improve service quality. Initially, the study will thoroughly assess the current state of existing infrastructure, inventory, and evaluate the technical and real estate assets of drinking water supply facilities based on each urban center and territorial community. Subsequently, it will focus on updating demand forecasts for water, considering demographic trends, urban expansion, and the needs of various sectors and economic activities.
The programming has outlined three temporal horizons: an urgent plan covering the period from 2027 to 2029, a medium-term outlook extending to 2035, and a long-term perspective reaching 2045. An independent axis will be dedicated to emergency measures aimed at securing water supply in areas that regularly experience shortages of this vital resource. This includes adapting networks to meet emerging climatic and demographic challenges while also reducing water loss, particularly stemming from leaks and pipeline breaks.
In this context, identifying the most vulnerable segments to breakdowns and prioritizing them is expected to enhance the management of available water resources and optimize their usage. The process will also involve modeling the main water supply network, tracing from water extraction points and flow rates to storage tanks, incorporating channels designated for securing supply alongside main distribution lines. This modeling will allow for evaluating network capabilities and performance levels, identifying current and future deficiencies, and simulating operational systems during crises, particularly in the event of a pipeline break or failure of a production facility.
Based on the comparative assessment of needs, resources, and available capabilities, a range of scenarios will be explored to improve water supply systems. These scenarios may include interlinking networks, connecting currently underserved areas, especially in rural regions, enhancing network operational conditions, and reducing areas experiencing excessive water pressure.
Ultimately, this study is expected to culminate in the development of a prioritized and cost-defined investment program, focusing on renewing networks and facilities, sharing resources, and jointly utilizing infrastructure, while integrating challenges related to water stress into the future management strategies for the drinking water sector in the region.
As reported by alhadattv.ma.
