Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – More than 51% of Morocco’s rural population now benefits from individual access to drinking water, the Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, said Monday in Rabat.
He made the statement during an oral question session at the House of Representatives on the rollout of household connections to potable water across rural areas.
The minister said the coverage rate has moved steadily over the past two decades. It stood at 22% in 2004, rose to 30% in 2010, and has now passed the 51% threshold. Around 1.4 million rural households currently have connections to drinking water networks.
The expansion forms part of the National Program for Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation, launched in 2020. Since its launch up to 2025, the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) has allocated about MAD 5 billion ($540 million) to reinforce production capacity and distribution infrastructure across the country.
The ministry also presented projections up to 2030. Plans cover 11,050 rural douars, with an additional 7,890 villages set within the same framework. The total budget stands at around MAD 10 billion ($1 billion).
The project receives support from the Ministry of the Interior, regional multi-service companies, and the Ministry of Equipment and Water.
Baraka said the next phase will rely on a revised legal framework that assigns management duties to regional multi-service companies. The model forms part of Morocco’s advanced regionalization policy and gives elected officials a role within the boards of directors.
Officials say the approach aims to improve coordination between rural and urban areas, widen access to basic services, and strengthen delivery in underserved regions.
