Drinking Water in Aït Amira: Urgent Projects Ahead and a Structural Solution Worth 260 Million Dirhams

In the context of the significant transformations taking place in Morocco’s water sector, the municipality of Aït Amira stands out as a territory steadily progressing towards overcoming structural constraints and adopting an ambitious future vision. This vision is championed by the Souss-Massa Regional Multi-Services Company and its partners, through structural projects aimed at establishing a sustainable water system that meets the needs of the population.

Despite the current challenges linked to an exclusive reliance on groundwater resources, through 13 boreholes providing a total production capacity of around 60 liters per second, the growing demand is projected to reach nearly 103 liters per second during peak periods by 2026. Various stakeholders are working to turn these challenges into opportunities for a comprehensive restructuring of the water supply system.

Additionally, the aging distribution network, which extends approximately 314 kilometers since its establishment in 1975, alongside recurrent leaks and breakdowns significantly affecting its efficiency—currently not exceeding 34%—along with a storage capacity limited to 670 m³, has led to the implementation of an alternate distribution program. This program allows water supply interruptions in neighborhoods that can last four days or more. However, this situation has provided a starting point for initiating promising rehabilitation projects.

In this context, two projects are currently underway. The first involves the construction of an additional reservoir with a capacity of 300 m³ in the Akram neighborhood, financed by the National Initiative for Human Development, with construction progressing at 95%. The second project focuses on new pipelines to connect the municipality to the main pipeline supplying drinking water to the city of Biougra, from the desalination station that was brought into service at the beginning of the year, with an estimated cost of 6 million dirhams and an advancement rate exceeding 96%.

As part of efforts to enhance water resources, the validation for the realization of three new exploratory boreholes was approved on April 22, 2026, at the Chtouka Aït Baha province headquarters, within the framework of the hydraulic basin agency’s action plan for the year 2026. These boreholes will be equipped by the provincial directorate of Equipment, Transport, Logistics, and Water for the benefit of the municipality.

Simultaneously, the Souss-Massa Regional Multi-Services Company has begun, as part of its competencies, a gradual takeover of the management of the drinking water service in the municipality. This operation has covered six neighborhoods, with a contractualization rate of 62%, with the aim of generalizing this model to strengthen governance and improve service quality.

Beyond these measures, the strategic vision of the company goes beyond short-term solutions, proposing a structural project integrated into the comprehensive development program. This project aims to transfer water from the desalination station to Aït Amira, as well as a complete modernization of the distribution network, with a total cost of 260 million dirhams.

This project is divided into two main components: the first, amounting to 140 million dirhams, involves the construction of 96 kilometers of supply pipelines, the establishment of three pumping stations, and new storage facilities with a total capacity of 6,200 m³, thereby enhancing supply capabilities and their autonomy. The second component, with 120 million dirhams allocated, focuses on modernizing the distribution network over 191 kilometers, as well as renewing approximately 18,000 household connections, which will reduce leaks and improve the network’s efficiency.

Collectively, these projects confirm an ambitious direction towards establishing a structural and sustainable solution that guarantees the supply of drinking water to the residents of Aït Amira under optimal conditions, in line with the developmental dynamics experienced by the region, led by the Souss-Massa Regional Multi-Services Company and in partnership with various stakeholders.