Water projects worth 10 billion dollars under way, minister says

Lounes Bouzegza, minister of hydraulics, said Algeria has 82 dams and water projects worth more than 10 billion dollars under way.

Algérie 360 reported the minister's remarks on the national radio. The projects, already registered or being built, total 10 billion dollars, or 1,469bn dinars (DZD).

Algeria currently has 82 dams, and three more are due to be completed by the end of the year. Studies continue for 28 new dams, and 18 large water transfer projects are planned to share water more evenly between regions.

In Sétif, a project to connect 15 communes to the Draâ Eddis dam costs 18bn dinars (DZD). Its launch is planned for 1 November.

In the south, a pipeline of about 250km will link the Tanezrouft area, at Bordj Badji Mokhtar, to the Tizawaten field in In Guezzam wilaya. The cost is close to 26bn dinars (DZD).

Desalination, the removal of salt from seawater, already provides a large share of drinking water. The 19 large plants and 12 medium-sized plants in service produce 3.6 million cubic metres a day. This covers the needs of about 40% of the population, according to the minister.

Plants in El Tarf and Béjaïa are among those due to open before the end of the year. In Blida, a link to the Fouka station in Tipasa has an opening announced for 1 November.

Algérie 360 reported that six more desalination plants are due by 2030, in Skikda, Jijel, Tizi Ouzou, Chlef, Mostaganem and Tlemcen. The first project of this new phase is in Tlemcen, ahead of Chlef and Mostaganem. The programme needs 3 billion dollars and will add 1.8 million cubic metres a day, raising national capacity to 5.6 million cubic metres.

The aim for 2030 is to meet between 60% and 65% of national drinking water needs through desalination. Water must also reach people who need it, so some pipelines from the coast could reach 150 to 250km inland, to supply the High Plateaux and busy towns.

Treated wastewater is also to be reused, mainly for farm irrigation and industry. Algérie 360 said this should help protect dam water and underground reserves, which are already affected by drought.