30 September 2008
Tunis — Fourteen desalination plants will be built as part of an ambitious national program aiming at improving the quality of water in Southern Tunisia.
Within the framework of the project, work has started on 3 desalination plants located in the governorate of Tozeur.
The three stations will be built in the delegations of Tozeur, Nefta and Herzoua, following an investment of 15,84 million dinars.
The Tozeur plant will have a capacity of some 6,000 cubic metres per day, the Nefza plant will yield some 4,000 cubic metres per day, and the Hezoua plant some 650 cubic metres.
Preliminary drilling and pipeline connection works are underway for the 3 concerned plants and an international call for tenders will be launched as of October 2008 by the Tunisian Water distribution company (Sonede) for the 11 others.
The first beneficiaries of the project are the inhabitants of the Tunisian South who, because of the brackish and often saline quality of groundwater water, often resort to drinking the more costly mineral water.
The plants will use the process known as reverse osmosis.(see inserted picture of Djerba's desalination plant)
It is estimated that most of the earth's water, about 97% is undrinkable, owing to the high degree of salt contained in it.
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