As the bank’s strategy to Increase water supply and sanitation financing, providing support for peri-urban areas, small and medium towns and urban sanitation, promoting transboundary water resources management by forging stronger partnerships with multilateral, bilateral and regional agencies and contributing to development results within the MDG framework, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has contributed to funding and implementing the new Oum Azza Water Treatment Facility in Morocco with Onee’s own funds.

Water for Rural Africa (WRA) wishes to use the opportunity to congratulate the bank’s effort in funding such a huge water infrastructure investment project worth 2 billion Moroccan Dirhams, or more than 182 million Euros.

The station which is almost complete is in the industrial test phase. Eventually, it will be able to produce drinking water with a flow rate of 432,000 m3 per day. The installation is accompanied by a raw water pumping station, a pre-chlorination station and a 77 km supply line. The treated water at the Oum Azza plant is pumped from the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah dam, located about 20 km southeast of Rabat-Salé, on the Oued-Bouregreg.

This monumental water infrastructure by AfDB is very crucial for Africa’s quest to fulfilling UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 (Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030) because, the Oum Azza Water Treatment Plant will improve the supply of potable water in the Rabat-Casablanca coastal area, one of the greatest areas of population growth in the country that has more than 5 million inhabitants. It will guarantee potable water needs until 2030.

Clearly, Africa Development Bank merits commendation, to continue the excellent work and increase their provisions to cover other areas in Africa, especially in the sub-Saharan region of the continent.

www.waterforruralafrica.org Email: info@ waterforruralafrica.org +223 0242802661