Drinking Water in Morocco - Bottle or Tap?

Should you drink bottled or tap water? Research shows: in six years, bottled water consumption has doubled in Morocco. Bottled water is found to be contaminated with plastic particles and tap water in Fez is perfectly safe to drink

The bottled water market is growing for several reasons. First, there is a change in the consumption habits of Moroccans increasingly aware of a healthy and balanced diet. Amongst tourists there is a longstanding misconception about Morocco's water purity. Owners of some accommodation riads have expressed concern at the amount of plastic waste generated by the use of bottled water and are pointing out to visitors that tap water is safe.

The development of leisure and travel has led to an increased consumption of coffee at hotels and restaurants. Operators in the sector have worked to raise awareness of the importance of consumption of natural mineral waters.

The packaging has also evolved, so the last few years have seen the launch of flavored water, sport caps, 5 litre bottles, bottles for water fountains, in addition to glass packaging.

The emergence of brands of table water sold at significantly lower prices reinforces the demand of certain consumers whose buying orientation is based on price. The market share of foreign brands remains very modest because of their relatively high selling price.

Bottled water VS tap water

According to a survey conducted by Marketphone, a subsidiary of Sunergia and whose results were published on November 7, 17% of Moroccans consume exclusively or mostly bottled water against 83% who opt for tap water. 6% of the population consume only bottled water, 11% consume it most often while 20% often consume tap water and 63% consume only tap water.

Despite the recent boycott, Moroccans have a preference for the products of the Oulmès Mineral Water Company, says the Sunergia study. According to the survey, 62% of respondents say they consume exclusively or most often bottled water from the company.

It appears that the favorite brands of Moroccans, after the products of Mineral Waters of Oulmes, are Ain Saiss and Sidi Hrazem . Despite the boycott, the structure of the sector in terms of market share has not changed, ensures the investigation.

"Whatever the purchasing power or socio-professional situation, today bottled water is not a luxury product but clearly a consumer product," the study concludes.

"As a result, the competition promises to be tough between the giants of the sector in the years to come", warn the authors of the survey, believing that these companies "will have to be innovative to stand out and reach consumers with good profiles.

In Fez there is good news for those concerned about the overuse of bottled water. The View From Fez recently had Fez tap water tested and the results are encouraging.

And it was not just in the Fez Medina. Rose Button had the water in Moulay Idriss tested and found the tap water to be fine to drink.

And for those on the coast?  Morocco’s Head of Government, Saad Eddine El Othmani, has assured consumers that water produced from Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah Dam in Rabat is safe to drink.

“You are in good hands when it comes to drinking water,” he said. The Bouregreg water facility supplies the populations of Rabat, Sale, Temara, Mohammadia and Casablanca.

El Othmani pointed out that: “All workers are strictly prohibited from bringing in bottled water, since they drink the water that was treated at the station and that they have watched over its filtration themselves.”

Saad Eddine El Othmani, drinking water from Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah Dam 

“I can only salute the people responsible at this station because they are invisible soldiers, unknown to the public, that conduct important patriotic work and take all the precautions to insure the security, safety, and health of the citizens,” El Othmani said.

The Head of Government assured citizens that the laboratory conducts analyses that follow the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) in coordination with the Ministry of Health.

First opened in 1969, the Bouregreg water facility is considered the first and largest water purification station in Morocco and provides drinking water to nearly seven million citizens.

Bottled water bottles are a massive pollutant

However, there is some bad news for those preferring bottled water. 

On Wednesday results of tests on the world’s leading brands of bottled water have found that nearly all bottles contain tiny plastic particles.

Over 250 of the top bottled water brands were tested in nine countries, including Lebanon, India, and the United States, during a research project commissioned by journalism organisation Orb Media and led by Sherri Mason, a professor of chemistry at the State University of New York in Fredonia.

The most common plastic fibres found include polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are used during the industrial bottling process.

Researchers found an average of 325 plastic particles in 93 percent of bottled water samples from several brands–Aqua, Aquafina, Dasani, Evian, Nestle Pure Life, San Pellegrino–with the highest level found in a bottle of Nestle Pure Life water, registering 10,390 particles per litre.

“We found [plastic] in bottle after bottle and brand after brand. It’s not about pointing fingers at particular brands; it’s really showing that this is everywhere, that plastic has become such a pervasive material in our society, and it’s pervading water – all of these products that we consume at a very basic level,” Mason told BBC News.

The study reveals that levels of plastic fibres contained in these bottled water brands could be twice as high as those found in tap water, referring to a previous study conducted by Orb Media, which showed that plastic particles were also present in tap water.

The study also found particles in beer, honey, table salt, and seafood, as the oceans are increasingly polluted with plastic waste.

To date, the implications of ingesting these microplastics on human health is still unknown. However, after the study’s findings, the World Health Organization has now told several media outlets that it is launching its own review into the potential risks.

In better news, the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved a €117 million loan to finance investment into making drinking water available in Morocco.

The project “aims to secure access to drinking water through new investments in treatment processes and drinking water supply networks” in Morocco, AfDB wrote in a statement on November 6.

The board of directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) said it approved the loan on Monday, November 5. The project will target 2.5 million people in Guercif in the northeast, Zagora in the east, Al Hoceima in the north, Tangier, and Beni Mellal in central Morocco.

Mohamed El Azizi, the bank’s director-general for the North Africa region, described the bank’s contribution as “strategic.” “Guaranteeing access for all to high-quality drinking water is the prerequisite for any form of sustainable development,” El Azizi said.

The program, which plans to ensure sustainable access to drinking water, meets two of the bank’s five highest priorities: “Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa” and “Industrialize Africa.”

For Leila Farah Mokaddem, the bank’s Morocco country manager, the project “will contribute to further improving the quality of life of millions of Moroccans.” “Taken together with our investments in education, agriculture and energy, it will facilitate the emergence of new poles of development,” Mokaddem added.

The project, according to AfDB, is in line with the objectives of the National Emergency Water Sector program and relevant sustainable development goals. The project is also aligned with the priorities set in the 2016-2020 investment plan of Morocco’s National Electricity and Drinking Water Agency (ONEE).

In June, the head of ONEE in the Fez region, Mohammed Berkia, said that office is adopting projects to improve the potable water supply in Al Hoceima through 2035.

Berkia said the projects would cost an estimated MAD 714 million. The government has budgeted MAD 900 million for the project, which will launch by the end of the year.  Berkia’s statements came three weeks after King Mohammed VI instructed the government to build river and hill dams to help alleviate water scarcity in rural Morocco.

The King appointed a commission led by Head of Government Saad Eddine El Othmani to find appropriate solutions to the problem. The monarch called on the commission to establish desalination plants and to ensure sustainable water in agricultural fields.

In March 15, El Othmani announced that the government would introduce a national water plan through 2050 to solve water shortages in Morocco.

According to the AfDB, the fifty-year partnership between Morocco and the bank includes more than 160 projects and programs with a total fund of more than $10 billion. More than 80 percent of the funding has been devoted to basic infrastructure in energy, water, transport, agriculture, and social development.

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Moroccan water professionals learn about best water management practices in Germany

Water scarcity has dominated world news in recent days, shedding light on the challenges that many countries face when it comes to managing water resources in a sustainable way. Morocco, like other countries in the Maghreb region, faces this challenge against a backdrop of rapid population growth, urbanisation and economic development

The H2O Maghreb project, a public-private partnership initiative implemented by the United Nations industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and supported by FESTO Didactic SE, EON Reality, The Moroccan National Office for Drinking Water and Electricity (ONEE), and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), is helping to improve industrial and municipal wastewater management practices in Morocco and the rest of the Maghreb region.

H2O Maghreb aims to address some of the key factors contributing to unsustainable wastewater management practices in the region, such as the lack of up-to-date training in the latest technologies and slow job growth in the wastewater sector.

The project will focus on the development of new curricula for wastewater management-related skills – including the most recent technological innovations, such as adaptive virtual reality and automation technology – and of a demonstration and training hub at ONEE training centre. The two-year activity will upgrade the skills of trainers, water professionals and youth from Morocco in order to help increase their employability.

In order to select the appropriate equipment for the project’s training centre, a three-day study tour with project partners was held from 16 - 19 January at the University of Stuttgart and the premises of the project partner, FESTO Didactic SE.

During the three days, the project partners assessed technological innovations like FESTO’s Environmental Discovery System (EDS) for water management and Augmented Virtual Reality (AVR) for eventual use at the project premises. The AVR approach will help future water professionals to deal with potential dangerous issues or issues difficult to reproduce that could otherwise not be simulated during the training.

The H2O Maghreb project will be implemented over a period of two years with a budget of USD 2.7 million and is linked to UNIDO’s global knowledge sharing platform, the Learning and Knowledge Development Facility (LKDF).

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When Will it Rain? Morocco's Drought

Morocco is in the second year of a severe drought and the impact on the economy is showing

Photo: Issam Oukhouya/Associated Press

Last year, wheat and barley production in Morocco was at its lowest level in a decade, according to World Grain, an industry magazine. The shortage was due to “inadequate rainfall during the planting season and the shortage of rain during the critical months of February and March.”

Wheat is a staple in Morocco and elsewhere in North Africa, according to the magazine. The average Moroccan consumes more than 440 pounds of wheat every year, one of the highest per capita rates in the world. The country irrigates only about 10 percent of its land, leaving it susceptible to drought.

Last year, during earlier stages of the drought, the king tried an age-old practice in a bid to save Morocco’s crops: prayer. On two Fridays in January, he led national rain prayers after normal worship ended.

But experts say the government needs agricultural solutions, not divine intervention: increased irrigation, better management of a growing population and improved purification of the water already in the country’s water pipes.

Waiting for water from a well in Zagora

Residents of many drought-stricken villages blame the shortages on the overuse of sparse resources for agriculture, especially the cultivation of watermelons and accuse the ministry of agriculture of allowing this water-intensive production "which provides profit for big farmers to the detriment of the inhabitants".

The Washington Post reports David Goeury, a geographer at Paris IV-La Sorbonne University, saying that a ban on water-intensive watermelon farming, would help. Morocco is one of the region’s top exporters of the melon.

“The problem is that watermelon demands a lot of water and requires drilling. If the water table is overexploited, its water level will drop or the quality of the water will be altered because it will come into contact with saltwater,” Goeury said.

The lack of water is having a ripple effect on the country’s gross domestic product and security. Water, the Associated Press wrote, “is becoming a threat to national stability in the kingdom, seen as a steady force in a restive region and key ally with the West in the fight against terrorism.”

Charafat Afailal, the secretary of state in charge of water, said change is needed — soon. “The issue of water has always been a priority for Morocco, but today, after two years of drought, we have to move on to higher gear,” she said.

The Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Aziz Akhannouch, said in Rabat on Monday that his department will take, during this agricultural season, several measures including ensuring a sufficient and regular supply of inputs and rationalisation of water resources.

In response to five questions related to the preparations for this agricultural season, posed by several groups in the House of Representatives, Mr. Akhannouch said that the Ministry will continue to implement the agricultural insurance program that will concern this season an area of one million hectares of agricultural land and 50,000 hectares of orchards, in addition to a series of financing measures for farmers.

According to the latest available weather forecasts, Morocco should see some showers next week. Rain is expected over three days starting on Wednesday. It remains to be seen just how much rain arrives.

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Water Purity in Fez Put To the Test

For years tourist operators and travel websites have warned visitors to Fez not to drink the tap water. While that advice was well meaning, it has now been proved wrong. Not only did it cause apprehension about health concerns, it fuelled massive consumption of bottled water and huge amounts of plastic waste. It also produced huge profits for the bottled water companies

The bottled water use in local riads is enormous. Fred Sola, who commissioned the water quality report, did so when he calculated that each month Riad Laaroussa supplied staff and guests with more than 600 1.5 litre bottles of water.

The bottled water industry is booming, recording strong total volume growth of 16% and 15% growth in total value sales in 2014.

Growth was mainly driven by the fact that in some Moroccan cities, domestic water was sometimes thought to be unclean and salty, which encouraged a large number of families to shift to bottled water.

This was illustrated by the fact that many companies launched 5-litre plastic bottles for family use at prices ranging between MAD 9.00 and MAD 11.00.

This week, independent laboratory analysis of tap water in Fez proved what the water authorities have been saying for years - tap water in Fez is clean, pure and uncontaminated.

Fez Medina tap water analysis details

The critical factors in the measurement of water purity are alkalinity, chlorine content, electrical conductivity, clarity, odour and bacterial content. As the recent report shows - detailed below - all of these measurements are better than the national standards demand, and in many cases, Fez tap water is better than that of many cities in Western countries.

The report shows that the pH of drinking water in Fez is 7.58. The pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity. As a comparison UK water quality regulations specify that the pH of tap water should be between 6.5 and 9.5. National standards in Morocco say that the pH should be between 6.5 and a maximum of 8.5.

As in all treated water there are normally traces of free chlorine also known as residual chlorine. Free chlorine in drinking water indicates that a sufficient amount of chlorine was added initially to the water to combat the bacteria and some viruses that cause diarrhoea; and the water is protected from recontamination during storage. The presence of free chlorine in drinking water correlates with the absence of most disease-causing organisms, and so is a measure of the potability of water. In tap water in the Fez Medina, free chlorine residue is around 0.3 mg/litre. The World Health Organisation (WHO) guideline value for free chlorine in drinking water is a maximum of 0.5 mg/L.

Electrical Conductivity is the ability of a solution to transfer (conduct) electric current. It is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity (ohms). Therefore conductivity is used to measure the concentration of dissolved solids which have been ionised in a solution such as water. However when water temperature increases, so will conductivity. For every 1°C increase, conductivity values can increase 2-4%. Temperature affects conductivity by increasing ionic mobility as well as the solubility of many salts and minerals 30. This can be seen in diurnal variations as a body of water warms up due to sunlight, (and conductivity increases) and then cools down at night (decreasing conductivity).

Specific conductance at 25 degrees C
is used as a standard of comparison
 for different water sources as conductivity
 ratios change with temperature.

Conductivity is usually measured in micro-siemens per centimeter (uS/cm).

Due to temperature’s direct effect, conductivity is measured at or corrected to a standardised temperature (usually 25°C) for comparability. In Fez testing showed tap water conductivity of 895 uS/cm. The maximum allowable in Morocco is 2700. Again, for comparison, potable water in the USA ranges up to 1500 uS/cm.

Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by large numbers of individual particles that are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke in air. The measurement of turbidity is a key test of water quality. Turbidity is measured in Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU).

The WHO establishes that the turbidity of drinking water should not be more than 5 NTU, and should ideally be below 1 NTU. Across Morocco the maximum allowable is 5 NTU, but the good news is that in Fez the drinking water turbidity is 0.178.

Odour intensity in water is normally scored in a range between 0 and 4, with 0 having no taste or odour through to 4, which is very strong.

The report on Fez drinking water describes taste and odour as being very low "at the threshold of perception" and rated as below 1. Water colour was also minimal at 1. The national maximum standard in Morocco is below 3 for odour and below 20 for colour.

Fez water is clear, clean and safe to drink

Almost all natural waters contain chloride and sulfate ions. Their concentrations vary considerably according to the mineral content of the earth in any given area. In small amounts they are not significant. In large concentrations they present problems. Usually chloride concentrations are low. Sulfates can be more troublesome because they generally occur in greater concentrations. Low to moderate concentrations of both chloride and sulfate ions add palatability to water. In fact, they are desirable for this reason. Excessive concentrations of either, of course, can make water unpleasant to drink.

In Fez, tap water testing shows around 115 mg/Litre for chlorides and 24.6 mg for sulphates. The maximum set by Moroccan regulations is 750 for chlorides and 400 for sulphates. By comparison the American EPA Secondary Drinking Water Regulations recommend a maximum concentration of 250 mg/1 for chloride ions and 250 mg/1 for sulfate ions.

Coliforms are a broad class of bacteria found in our environment, including the feces of human and other warm-blooded animals. The presence of coliform bacteria in drinking water may indicate a possible presence of harmful, disease-causing organisms. There are zero present in Fez tap water.

E. coli is a type of fecal coliform bacteria commonly found in the intestines of animals and humans. E. coli is short for Escherichia coli. The presence of E. coli in water is a strong indication of recent sewage or animal waste contamination. Again there are zero in Fez water.

The same zero result was indicated when testing for Enterococci and bacterial spores.

The laboratory tests were carried out by the specialist environmental company Laboratoire QEE S.A.R.L. in Fez, and Fred Sola told The View From Fez that he intends to repeat the analysis each month to ensure there are no fluctuations in quality.

ONEP was recognised for its water quality programme for Fez

Water purity in Morocco is governed at the national level by ONEP (Office National de l'eau Potable) and at the local level in Fez by RADEEF - the office for distribution of water and electricity. On January 6 this year, the water branch of ONEP was recognised for the quality of its water treatment in Fez.

Advice for tourists

So, if Fez tap water is safe, why does the myth continue? One of the reasons is probably a hangover from the days before sophisticated water and waste treatment.

Even major tourist companies still peddle out-of-date information:

Drink lots of water. The city streets can get hot and close during the afternoon. When buying bottled water on the street, check that the seals on the lid have not been opened. Sometimes people fill bottles with tap water. The safest thing to do is to drink bubbly water, which can't be faked ~ Fodor's "Fez: A Survival Guide"

Moroccan travel expert Tim Cullis looks at the issue and explains why people often get ill and says it is not from the water.

Tim Cullis writes that Morocco's ONEP (Organisation National de l'Eau Portable) invested nearly $700 million last year in domestic water projects.

"Tap water within towns is perfectly safe to drink. Yes, sometimes there's a faint chlorine taste when it's first poured, but I sometimes find that in the UK as well. My favourite drink in Morocco is qhwa nus nus (milky coffee--literally coffee half-half) and this is normally served with a glass of tap water. If not, you can ask for a glass of water, "cas diel l'ma arfak".

"Often cafés will provide free bottles of tap water from the fridge. The popular bottled mineral waters are Sidi Ali, Sidi Harazem (Saint Ali, Saint Harazem) etc., the joke phrase for tap water is Sidi Robinet (Saint Tap).

"Well water is often used outside of towns, and if it's for public consumption (restaurants, guest houses) the well mechanism has to include filters and have to have a certificate. But I've had tea in the middle of absolutely nowhere made from water from a basic well, and not suffered."

The most sensible advice ~ wash your hands!

Tim Cullis emphasises, however, that it's vital to do what your mother taught you as a child. "Wash your hands before eating. Most upset stomachs are caused by handling dirty bank notes and other items, then eating eating bread with your hands and transferring the bacteria to your stomach.

"Moroccans are fastidious about washing their hands before eating and every cafe, no matter how humble, will have a sink with running water for washing your hands. Mime 'hand washing' and you'll be pointed to it. You'll also gain street credibility amongst Moroccans who are generally amazed at the poor personal hygiene of Europeans."

Waste Water Treatment - Clean and Green

Belgian company, Waterleau, designed and built the municipal wastewater treatment plant of the city of Fez, which has a population of 1.3 million.

Waste water treatment in Fez is state of the art

Waterleau is also responsible for the operation and maintenance of the plant for a period of 10 years. The plant reduces 85% of the pollution of the river Sebou, treating 120.000 m³ of sewage water per day or 40 million m³ annually.

Half of the plant's energy requirements come from biogas, provided from digestion of the sludge, an important by-product of the biological wastewater treatment process. Daily, 28.800 m³ of methane is produced, providing 2.75 million Kwh per year. The plant allows a considerable reduction of greenhouse gases: the treatment process reduces 103.000 tons of CO2 per year.

So the next time you are sitting at a cafe in Fez, and are given a glass of tap water, along with your qhwa, there is no reason to hesitate.

The View from Fez would like to thank Fred Sola for making the report available.

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Harvesting Fog in Morocco

Mist nets for harvesting water from fog have been around for a while and now the technology has come to Morocco. The results are impressive and have changed the lives of the inhabitants of five villages in the southwest of the country, who no longer have to travel several kilometres each day to fetch water.

At 1,225 meters above sea level, on the mountain overlooking Boutmezguida, five villages in the region of Sidi Ifni have installed forty huge nets to take advantage of fog. A fog fence or fog collector is an apparatus for collecting liquid water from fog, using a fine mesh or array of parallel wires. They trap the water droplets, which are then processed, mixed with well water and transported via pipelines to the villagers.

"In a region with semi-arid climate, having water by opening a simple tap is a revolution," says Aissa Derhem, president of the association Dar Si Hmad for Development, Education and Culture.

A Douar Id Achour, one of five communities served, women and children previously lost four hours a day on average to make round trips to retrieve well water.

"I filled two 20 litre four times in the day. But these 160 litres were sufficient not even us, because we have cattle! "says Massouda Boukhalfa, 47.

Mist nets in Chile

"Reaping the fog", has been used for more than twenty years in Chile, in the Andes. Developed by the NGO Fog Quest, which has already tested prototypes in several countries (Guatemala, Peru, Namibia, in particular), this is the first use in North Africa.

Symbolically, the water flow in Morocco began for the first time on March 21, World Water Day. Since then  92 homes and nearly 400 people have received running water to their homes.

"Morocco has a lot of fog due to three factors: the presence of an anticyclone, the Azores, a cold sea current and the obstacle represented by the mountain," says Derhem. "It's environmentally friendly and it helps preserve the water table in the region, which we were emptying."

The Dar If Hmad Association now wants to equip the surrounding villages and replace existing nets with new models capable of withstanding winds of 120 km /h.

The nets were built in Morocco with the help of a German foundation.

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Hidden Waters (‘Les eaux cachées’) ~ First Screening in Fez

After a year of hard work Joe Lukawski was happy to finally show his 52 minute documentary on water in Fez. Hidden Waters (‘Les eaux cachées’) is an examination of the ancient water system in Fez, water’s commodification, and some illuminating urban planning initiatives aimed at cleaning up the rivers of the city.

The screening of the film took place before a capacity crowd at Dar Batha courtesy of the l’Institut Français de Fès.

Joe Lukawski - a job well done

The result of Joe Lukawski and editor Armand Jayet's work is a thorough examination of the problems surrounding water in Fez. The impressive lineup of commentators in the film gives the documentary exactly the gravitas the subject deserves. It was, however noticeable that only one of the interviewees was a woman. The use of archival footage adds an interesting historical perspective. While most people have been aware of the issue of pollution, the film confronts the viewer with the stark reality of the size of the problem.

The narration by Cecile Houizot-Nanot was handled superbly.

The View from Fez team congratulate Joe and Armand on a job well done.


Photo of Joe by Sandy McCutcheon




The French Institute is also to be congratulated for support given by Institute director Philippe Laleu.

LINKS

The French Institute website
For updates, photos and production stories from “Hidden Waters,” check out the blog at http://fezfilm.wordpress.com
You can also visit Joe Lukawski's blog at http://joelukawski.wordpress.com.

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The Errachidia Oasis Under Threat

Tucked away in Morocco's high Atlas mountains the vast oasis of Errachidia, among the most beautiful in the south of the country, is today threatened by bad management. Omar Brouksy, writing on Iol Scitech, tells the story.

A stone's throw from the tarred road that crosses the oasis of Goulmima, near Errachdia, a well closely guarded by the M'barek family supplies a small maize field with the help of a water pump.

“The water level has dropped a lot. God alone knows why,” said Moha M'barek, a farmer in his 80s who was born in the oasis, where he owns a small plot of land.

“I dug four wells before finding water. Around me, the neighbours have no water. Before, there was water everywhere. That's the will of God,” M'barek added, staring down at the stream carrying well water to the fields.

For centuries the sharing out of water in the oasis, now threatened with drying out, was managed in the “khattara” tradition, whereby water towers were used and distribution took place according to need, in line with ancestral Berber rites.

This system made it possible to maintain a regular flow of water all year round.

But more recent exploitation of the oasis illustrates the risk of misusing the planet's water resources, which was an issue on the agenda of the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development.

From the 1970s, farmers have introduced water pumps, leading to the progressive depletion of the water table. Fields, once steadily cultivated and green, are now wasteland abandoned by the oasis dwellers.

“The outlines of the fields, you can see how big they are. Look, one, two, three, four meters wide. They are big, so that means there was lots of water,” said Lahcen Kabiri, professor of environmental geosciences at the University of Errachidia.

“Little by little, the farmers opted for individual wells, which they fitted with water pumps. Thousands of wells were dug, and in a few years the water had dried up,” added the academic, pointing to an immense tract of land bordered by a few ailing palm trees.

Kabiri said the situation “could turn into a real catastrophe in light of the role of oases in the struggle against desertification.

“If the water runs out, then everything that depends on it will be in a dramatic situation. We will be up against an unprecedented ecological disaster.”

Residents and local authorities have become increasingly aware of the threat to the oasis, which is one of the largest in the north African country.

In the small palm grove of Izilf at the heart of Errachidia, several farmers have got together to take a joint approach to the problem.

“We have set up a cooperative to manage the water supply collectively,” said Moha Bousseta, the president of the cooperative. “Otherwise, everything that you see will no longer exist. There'll be nothing left, everything will be dead, dried out.”

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Hidden Waters (‘Les eaux cachées’) - Filming Completed in Fez

This week saw the completion of filming for Joe Lukawski's fascinating documentary on water in Fez. The 52 minute film, Hidden Waters (‘Les eaux cachées’) is an examination of the ancient water system in Fez, water’s commodification, and some illuminating urban planning initiatives aimed at cleaning up the rivers of the city. Here is the trailer for the film.

Joe celebrates the completion of months of hard work

For updates, photos and production stories from “Hidden Waters,” check out the blog at http://fezfilm.wordpress.com
You can also visit Joe Lukawski's blog at http://joelukawski.wordpress.com.


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'Les eaux cachées' (Hidden Waters) - Trailer announced in Fez

Filmmaker Joe Lukawski has announced the launch of the first in-progress trailer for his documentary film 'Les eaux cachées' (Hidden Waters), and asks our readers help in getting the word out. The film (52 min.) will tell the story of Fez's waters from the points of view of its 1200 year history, its built heritage, and its enduring traditions to re-valorize water in a time where water is commonly accepted as the worlds next great problematic.

By e-mailing it to your friends and colleagues who may be interested, posting it on facebook, tweeting it, or blogging about it, you can help make the project known, help shape the rest of the production, and help it enter public discourse on water and urban culture.

Below are links to the trailer, one with French and one with English subtitles. Also, if you have a moment, please read a bit more about the project by visiting the film blog.

Trailer (EN)

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"Hidden Waters" Gets Boost From The French Institute

Filmmaker Joe Lukawski has good news concerning his 52 minute documentary film project in Fez. In partnership with the French Institute of Fez, film editor Armand Jayet will be joining the "Hidden Waters" team this summer.

Armand Jayet

Armand Jayet will spend three weeks on location in Fez to edit the first version of the film thanks to an artist residency at the Dar Batha offered by l’Institut Français de Fès.  Editor by vocation, cinephile since birth, Jayet will bring his experience, his extraodinary sense of timing, and a reflective look to the film – all while taking in the light and aesthetic of the old city of Fez.

"Les eaux cachées, or "Hidden Waters" is being produced over the next nine months in and around Fez. It addresses the issues of water conservation and the urban restoration taking place around Fez’s waters. (See our latest update on the project here)

Joe Lukawski - "all fired up"

Joe Lukawski is very excited about the development and told The View from Fez that he was "all fired up" and working harder than ever on the project. Lukawski has also recently taken on a Moroccan intern to get experience working on the sound for the film.

The development with the French Institute is thanks to the dynamic new Institute director Philippe Laleu, who himself has a background as a video artist.

LINKS

The French Institute website
For updates, photos and production stories from “Hidden Waters,” check out the blog at http://fezfilm.wordpress.com
You can also visit Joe Lukawski's blog at http://joelukawski.wordpress.com.

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"Hidden Waters" documentary: Director's Update

In September 2011, The View from Fez asked filmmaker Joe Lukawski about his new project in Fez  and he told us - "Les eaux cachées, or Hidden Waters will take the shape of a 52 minute documentary film, produced over the next nine months in and around Fez to address the issues of water conservation and the urban restoration taking place around Fez’s waters. In this, one of our principal aims is to bring Fassi tradition and folklore alive as we explore some of the dying trades linked to the old water system and to a way of life played out increasingly in the shadow of modernity." Four months later, we caught up with Joe for an update. Here is his report

Fez, 20 January 2012 -  After having been inspired by the city and its people over the course of a few short visits, I came back to Fez in September under the Fulbright program to do research and produce a documentary film about water in Fez. The working title “Hidden Waters” was inspired by the vast underground medieval water system that has fed Fez’s fountains and gardens, turned its waterwheels and nourished its people for hundreds of years.

However, over the years, damage to the old water system has threatened the old city as knowledge of the traditional system slowly vanished alongside the trades that maintained it. Restoring the areas surrounding the river, then, is not only a matter of resource management, but of urban preservation. In this sense, my original aims were to take a historical look at Fez’s waters and to explore the types of restoration initiatives currently underway around the rivers of Fez. However, since September the story has been widening as I meet more people and learn more about Fez’s traditions and cultural practices surrounding water.

All this time in re-production, fielding questions about what I’m doing in Fez and trying to promote the project, has forced me to see the film in a different light. I’m beginning to envision the film as it should turn out - a series of interesting and aesthetically beautiful episodes rather than something monolithic, dry and over academic. At this point, the film will be more focused on cultural practice and tradition, folklore, etc… than the structural elements of Fez’s history with water.

Though the old system is interesting and Fez is an architectural gem, in the end it is the human element that will valorize water as something to be protected and taken care of. Its too easy to take water’s importance for granted, or on the opposite end to feel helpless in front of technical information about its current state. I hope that talking about water in a way that places it at the center of urban culture and local tradition will enrich the vocabulary of people communicating about sustainable development and water by bringing daily life and culture into the discussion. Jinn stories, Gnawa dance, and the importance of water in everyday Moroccan symbolism are but a few of the topics I am exploring and filming at the moment.

Initial fundraising initiatives for the project on Kickstarter did not bear fruit, however, I really think this is what drove me to re-examine my project and what it means to be in Morocco as a Fulbrighter. In the end, I have a camera and a microphone, so there will be a film. I guess I am beginning to see Fulbright Morocco as a chance to learn more about myself as a filmmaker, about Moroccan language and culture and to make something more artisanal, with my own hands and the help of the motivated people around me.

The expat community in Fez – the likes of The View from Fez, Cecile from Fès et Geste, The Biehns, Marie Roland-Gosselin – and my colleagues in Fulbright Morocco have supported the project with their experience in the city, their connections and their ecouragement. Karima el Baz from MACECE has been a great help in bridging the gap between myself and the Moroccan authorities, helping me get my paperwork in order. Also, I’ve been able to collaborate with Peace Corps Morocco volunteers Joe Hollowell and Steven Kurvers on film shoots in the Middle Atlas, a great opportunity to bridge the gap between two long-lasting U.S. programs and a breathe of fresh air when the dense medina becomes hard to work in.

My Fassi colleagues have been fantastic. Without Omar Chennafi I could never have gotten anything off the ground. I’ve also had the great fortune to be able to have two Moroccan students from the College Moulay Idriss, Sarah Touiger and Yassine Houari, as production assistants in their time outside class. I’ll be teaching them a bit about documentary filmmaking from camerawork to sound to conducting interviews as they assist me in shooting.

As the first full videocassettes start lining up on my editing desk, it’s exciting to know that I have all the necessary paperwork in order, a production schedule, and a good head start on filming. However, it’s even more exciting to finally hit the streets camera-in-hand. I’ll be shooting on location in and around Fez through mid-April before starting post-production. A trailer should be ready by mid-March.

For updates, photos and production stories 
from “Hidden Waters,” check out the blog at http://fezfilm.wordpress.com


You can also visit Joe Lukawski's blog at
http://joelukawski.wordpress.com.








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Hidden Waters of Fez ~ Update

Back in September, The View from Fez reported on the new film project being undertaken by Joe Lukawski (see story here). Now Joe has produced a new video to promote his fundraising efforts. We asked him, why he had released the new video.

"The idea for the new Kickstarter video was to try to bring a bit more reflection into "Hidden Waters" fundraising efforts, using slightly better equipment, and getting out into the streets of Fez more."

The Kickstarter programme is designed to assist film projects in raising the money needed to begin a project. Each project only runs for a set time and Joe's has only slightly upwards of twenty days left, meaning time for people to get involved with the film by donating is running out soon.

"What we really want is not necessarily that people feel obligated to make a big donation, but rather to give us a bit of baraka for our efforts," Joe explains. "Donors to the film get one-of a kind photos, limited edition DVDs of the film once its out, and more. Our goal with these rewards was to promote other artistic efforts, such as the photography of local photographer Omar Chennafi and businesses that support local artists and welcome international artists in Fez such as Café Clock."

This is a project that is not only of interest to experts and academics, but to the local people in the Fez Medina. "Today the man working at my local hanut told me: 'Sidi yusuf, when you find out where all the clean fresh water everyone always had in Fez went, and why we pay so much now for running water and bottled water, please tell me.'

"We really want to find out," Joe says, "but more than that, we aim to reflect on something else my local hanut man said. 'water is life's mother, in Fez and everywhere.' Frankly, whether we get the kickstarter funds or not, I know that this is a beautiful story worth telling."



The View from Fez is supporting this project  and will have regular reports on its progress. We would urge you to join us in donating to assist Joe in making the film. Contributions can be made at the project's KICKSTARTER PAGE.

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"The Hidden Waters of Fez" ~ How you can help!

And the water... following its countless courses behind the partitions of earth and stone. Seldom visible but nearly always present, it rushed beneath the sloping alleyways, here gurgled, here merely dripped, here beyond the wall of a garden splashed or dribbled in the form of a fountain, here fell with a high hollow noise into an invisible cistern, here all at once was unabashedly a branch of the river roaring over the rocks (so that sometimes the cold vapor rising was carried over the wall by the wind and wet his face), here by the bakery had been dammed and was almost still, a place where the rats swam.

This beautiful description of the Fez Medina can be found in the Paul Bowles' novel The Spider's House.  While the protagonist cannot see the water, its presence is everywhere. Years on, the sound of water in Fez is now rare. The waters have become hidden. But now we can report that filmmaker, Joe Lukawski is embarking on a project  called “Les eaux cachées,” or “Hidden Waters”. The View from Fez asked him to explain.

The waters of Fez first interested me when I heard the enigmatic story of the water clock just off Tala’a Kbira – a mechanism no one really knew too much about, except that it was driven by underground water and that it told time quite precisely. From then on, stories of underground water channels and of medieval Fez’s reliance on the plentiful waters flowing through the city built up until it was evident that a film must be made – a film on the history of Fez’s waters, on the rich cultural forms that have taken shape around this vital life-giving resource and on the preservation of such a resource and its place in Fassi life - from Fez’s brilliantly tiled fountains, to the running water the river once provided all homes.

“Les eaux cachées,” or “Hidden Waters” will take the shape of a 52 minute documentary film, produced over the next nine months in and around Fez to address the issues of water conservation and the urban restoration taking place around Fez’s waters. In this, one of our principal aims is to bring Fassi tradition and folklore alive as we explore some of the dying trades linked to the old water system and to a way of life played out increasingly in the shadow of modernity. The Kwadsi, who have the closest relationship with Fez’s medieval water channels – literally crawling though them with long hooked poles – are but one genre of tradesman whose stories “Hidden Waters” will seek to tell.

Having spent some time in Fez before, I have returned on a Fulbright grant for the project and have linked up with some creative folks to make this project happen. Over the next three months I will be researching the old water system and its role in medieval Fez – photographing and taking video that will be shared on the film’s blog (see here). These first months are also your chance to take part in this one of a kind documentary.

Kickstarter, a website dedicated to the “crowd-sourcing” of creative projects, has given us the opportunity to raise funds for the film directly, by engaging you. Crowd-sourcing works like this: we set a goal for our fundraising, you visit our kickstarter page, check out our video and our presentation of the project, and donate by clicking “back this project.” As you’ll notice on the site, your donations do not go unrewarded. Depending on the level of donation, backers receive one of a kind gifts and will all have their names in the films credits.

Our goal is not only to make a film that will be interesting for international crowds, but to create a community around the film that is willing to help us share stories of some of Fez’s most interesting spaces, people and folklore. As disrepair to the old water channels threatens buildings and makes access to water expensive for some medina residents, so modernity obscures Fez’s beautiful history with water.

- Joe Lukawski, director of "Hidden Rivers"
Photographs: Omar Chenafi

The View from Fez is supporting this project  and will have regular reports on its progress. We would urge you to join us in donating to assist Joe in making the film. Contributions can be made at the project's KICKSTARTER PAGE.

Japanese Loans to Finance Moroccan Water and Road Programmes

A recent article on the USA Morocco Board highlights the impact of tourism on water resources in Morocco. As Rebecca Timson points out, water is a scarce resource in Morocco, and tourists use a lot of it when they stay in hotels and swim in pools and especially when they go golfing. A single 18-hole golf course requires 3500 m/day of water, which is 3.5 times as much as the average Moroccan consumes in a whole year.

For a long time there have also been issues of water scarcity particularly in Fez and Meknes. Now it appears that help is coming in the form of loans from the Japanese international Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The JICA just announced that it has granted Morocco two loans of 2.3 billion dirham (about 200 million euro) to finance a water supply and rural roads projects. This has been confirmed today by sources from the ministry of Economy and Finance.

The first loan of 1.7 billion dirham will finance a potable water project in Fès and Meknès in central Morocco, which have been facing water supply problems for a long time.

The second loan of 583 million dirham is meant to finance the rural road programme.

It aims at facilitating the movement of rural populations and reducing disparities between rural and urban zones.

New Desalination Plant in Morocco

Spanish firm, Cadagua, has been selected to build a desalination plant in Jorf Lasfar, 100 kilometers from Casablanca. This is Cadagua's first contract in Morocco and its third in North Africa, following the construction of two desalination plants in Tunisia.

Cadagua, which specializes in the design, construction and operation of water treatment plants, has been chosen by the Moroccan company OCP (Office Cherifien des Phosphates) to design and build a seawater desalination plant based on reverse osmosis in the Jorf Lasfar industrial complex, 100 kilometers south of Casablanca. The project will cost 60 million euro.

OCP is the world's largest exporter of phosphate and derivatives; it has 18,000 employees and reported 4.5 billion dollars in sales in 2010, i.e. 3.5% of Morocco's GDP and just over 25% of its total exports.

Antonio Casado, General Manager of Cadagua said, 'This new contract in Morocco is strategic since it is our first reference in that country and our third in North Africa. After building desalination plants in Jerba and Zarzis in Tunisia, the company has strengthened its commitment to international markets.'

It is also to commence work on a contract estimated at US$55 million to construct a seawater desalination plant in Ajman by the Federal Electricty and Water Authority (FEWA) of the United Arab Emirates.

The Jorf Lasfar project

The plant will have a capacity of 75,800 cubic meters. OCP has also envisaged two future expansions in order to attain a final output of 222,200 cubic meters per day in the medium term. The contract includes the design, manufacture, supply, construction, assembly, testing and commissioning of the desalination plant.

The facility will incorporate energy recovery devices and will feature the latest technology in pre-treatments— dissolved air flotation (DAF) and ultra-filtration—to improve water quality.

Harvesting fog for water in Morocco

Some rural Moroccans have to trek for miles every day because their arid environment doesn't provide enough drinking water. Or does it?

Six Rice Universtity (Houston, Texas) students with the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy's Energy Forum spent a month helping with a project that harvests potable water from the fog that envelops parts of the Atlas Mountains, reports ScienceDaily. The students were joined by Amy Myers Jaffe, a fellow in energy studies at the Baker Institute and associate director of the Rice Energy Program; Ronald Soligo, professor of economics; and Eugenia Georges, professor and chair of anthropology. They worked with the Dar Si Hmad Foundation in Sidi Ifni, Morocco, to move forward an engineering program to capture tiny droplets of water with a polyethylene mesh in the mountainous Boutmezguida region of southern Morocco.

a fog-net

The volleyball-net-like structures grab liquid from the fog, which drips down the nets into collecting tubes. Gravity propels the drops down pipes that terminate at a water storage tank at the bottom of the mountain. The sustainable project could theoretically provide clean, safe water for people in the area.

The idea began earlier this year when Jamila Bargach was a guest lecturer at the Baker Institute for Public Policy's Energy Forum at Rice, talking about Integrated Appoaches to Sustainable Development. She was able to tell the students about an opportunity to go to Morocco to put into practice some aspects of what they were learning. The goal of the trip was to expose students to applying sustainable techniques learned from a course to real-world problems in developing countries.

Bargach is a cultural anthropologist who graduated from Rice University in 1998. She has written several books including Orphans of Islam, and teaches architectural students anthropology and sociology. She is also a founder member of the recently-established Dar Si-Hmad Foundation for Development, Education and Culture in Ifni in the southwest of Morocco.

"Initially, it was a huge culture shock to be in an Arab country, but Moroccan hospitality and food won us over," research associate Kevin Liu said. "We had a great experience working with the foundation and the local people."

He described the interaction with professionals associated with Dar Si Hmad Foundation and residents of the Boutmezguida region as the highlight of the trip. After overcoming early "stomach issues," he and his colleagues developed a taste for the local cuisine. However they gave up on mastering its preparation. "We learned that we could not cook Moroccan food, not matter how hard we tried," he said.

While he acknowledged that the nets cannot supply enough water for a metropolitan area, Liu said they can make a real difference for rural families. At a cost of roughly $1,000-$1,500 to cover materials and maintenance for an average 10-year lifespan, he said, "we can provide anywhere from 200 to 1,000 liters of water per day for a village." They also looked into the possibility of harvesting water that accumulated on trees by spreading tarps on the ground beneath them. The idea stemmed from observing indicators of water accumulation on the vegetation. Ideally, the vegetation acts as a natural fog collector.

The Rice students' mission included conducting background research on the project, completing the calculations for the designs and locations of the nets and developing the required infrastructure for a future Rice group to finish the project next summer.

"Determining the location to position the nets will be especially important for maximizing the efficiency of the nets in regard to the orientation, frequency of fog, and wind speed and direction," Liu said. "The region could also benefit from a comprehensive survey of natural groundwater patterns created by the fog."

"Our main two takeaways were developing and conducting a comprehensive survey for local water demand as well as designing and implementing basins to capture water from the fog on local vegetation," he said.

"The challenge of both the science and engineering and cultural implementation is large, and the predestined condition of geography and nature is hard to overcome," Jaffe wrote on the Baker Institute's blog in the Houston Chronicle. One of the lessons of the Morocco experience, she added, is that "the solutions to such problems are not global at all. They are community-specific and require a deep knowledge of specific cultural, geographic and socio-political conditions."

Liu echoed Jaffe's conclusion: "Although we may think we know what is best for other countries, it is impossible for us to put ourselves in their shoes. That is why a comprehensive survey needs to be done before any construction so we can get a feel of the situation. If you just go and build without understanding the culture and the relationships of the locals (and what is socially acceptable), you could do more harm than good."

For more information on the Dar Si-Hmad Foundation, see www.darsihmad.ma.