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Moroccan activists blame infrastructure, not scarcity, for recurring water outages
🇲🇦 Morocco /Energy & Infrastructure

Moroccan activists blame infrastructure, not scarcity, for recurring water outages

From Hespress · () Arabic

Translated from Arabic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Activists attribute recurring drinking water outages in several Moroccan regions to technical failures in distribution infrastructure, not water scarcity.
  • Official data shows Morocco's dams are at 70.62% capacity, a better situation than last year, contradicting scarcity claims.
  • Experts emphasize the need for future infrastructure to withstand extreme climate events and for transparent communication with citizens about water disruptions.

Recurring disruptions to drinking water supply in various Moroccan regions are not due to a lack of water resources, according to environmental activists. Instead, they point to technical issues stemming from aging distribution infrastructure and the use of outdated connection pipes unable to withstand extreme weather.

The recurring drinking water outages... are due to technical faults in the water distribution infrastructure.

— Mustafa BenramilThe head of the "Ecological Lighthouses for Development and Climate" association explains the cause of water disruptions.

Mustafa Benramil, head of the "Ecological Lighthouses for Development and Climate" association, stated that recent outages in cities like Meknes and Tiflet, as well as in mountainous areas, are caused by technical faults in water distribution systems. He explained that plastic pipes were used, which were not designed to handle extreme climate phenomena like heatwaves and soil erosion, which have damaged some connections.

The connection pipes used are plastic and were not designed to account for various extreme climate phenomena, like those the country experienced a few months ago.

— Mustafa BenramilBenramil elaborates on the vulnerability of the current water distribution system.

Benramil acknowledged that summer demand for water strains existing infrastructure, leading to frequent interruptions. However, he stressed that future infrastructure must account for potential impacts of extreme climate events. He reiterated that dam water levels remain high, at 76% capacity, refuting claims of scarcity.

The pressure of demand for water during the summer season exceeds the capacity of Moroccan infrastructure.

— Mustafa BenramilBenramil discusses the impact of seasonal water demand.

Ayoub Kerrir, president of the "Oxygen for Environment and Climate" association, also attributed the outages to management issues by companies contracted for water supply and the dilapidated state of distribution infrastructure. He noted that despite periodic repairs, infrastructure often deteriorates without timely renewal. Kerrir called for regular maintenance of water systems and better communication with the public about planned disruptions.

Future infrastructure must consider the potential impacts of all extreme climate phenomena, including soil erosion and heatwaves.

— Mustafa BenramilBenramil emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hespress in Arabic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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