Work starts on water project for El Eulma and 15 communes

Lounès Bouzegza, Minister of Hydraulics, launched works in Sétif on Tuesday for a drinking water project serving El Eulma and 15 other communes.

Algérie Eco reported, citing the Algeria Press Service (APS), that all preliminary steps, including the choice of construction firms, have been completed. The project takes water from the Draâ Eddis dam and covers the north-east of Sétif wilaya.

The works are due to last less than 15 months. Bouzegza said they need close monitoring on the ground so that the project is delivered on time.

Once complete, the project will supply nearly 600,000 people with drinking water. That number is expected to rise to about 750,000 by 2040.

The project has a public investment of 18bn dinars (DZD). It will distribute about 166,000 cubic metres of water a day, which Bouzegza added will help close the shortage of drinking water in the north-east of the wilaya while improving the public service.

The wilaya has nine wastewater treatment plants (STEP). Four of them have been rehabilitated and fitted with tertiary treatment, which allows the treated water to be reused for farming.

Bouzegza said this treated water will irrigate large farmland areas, including the Mezloug region, and support farming around El Eulma. He said this will strengthen water security and help local economic development.

The wider plan for the wilaya also uses desalinated sea water for the north and boreholes for the south. Bouzegza said this would give a balanced and lasting distribution of water across the whole wilaya.