Tunisia: Dams' Reserves Have Not Exceeded 32 Percent of Their Capacity, By End of September 2022

Tunis/Tunisia — The water resources available in dams by the end of September 2022, did not exceed 32% of the global storage capacity of these structures, standing at 759 million m3.

This situation is the result of seven consecutive years of drought and the lack of policies to rationalise water consumption in a country that is below the threshold of water stress.

Central Director at the National Company of Water Exploitation and Distribution (SONEDE) Abdessalem Saïdi indicated in an interview with TAP that the average share of water per capita in Tunisia, estimated at less than 450m3/year, is expected to drop to 350m3/capita/year by 2030.

The theoretical threshold of water stress worldwide is set at 1000 m3/capita/year, while "water poverty" is less than 500 m3/capita/year.

He explained the water situation in Tunisia by the irregularity of rainfall and the rainfall differences between regions (an average of 1500 mm in the north and 100 mm in the south).

"The overall water resources that could be mobilised in the country total 4.8 billion m3 per year, including 2.7 billion m3 of surface water (dams and hill lakes) and 2.1 billion m3 of groundwater."

"The drought has impacted on the quality of the water, due to a sharp drop in the level of water in dams, leading to the water mixing with silt.

This mixture has caused an unpleasant change in its smell and colour, without being harmful to health.

Besides, "for 50% of water resources in the country, the degree of salinity exceeds 1.5 g/litre."

The official indicated that the water deficit varies from one system to another: 16% for the North Water System, Cap Bon, Sahel and Sfax and the South and North-East, 14% for the Gafsa water system, while no deficit was recorded in Greater Tunis during the 2022 summer.

"This deficit generates disruptions and cuts in drinking water in some regions, especially with the rise in temperatures. It is the result of the delay in the implementation of major projects due to financing difficulties.

"The projects underway at a total cost of TND 3,900 million, such as the seawater desalination projects in Sousse, Zarat and Sfax and the project to transfer excess water from the north to the high consumption areas (Greater Tunis, Sahel, Cap Bon, Sfax) are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024," he added.

Saïdi said that in addition to the decrease in the level of dam reserves, the SONEDE is facing other problems such as the decline in the flow of water in deep wells and even the drying up of some, as in the governorate of Zaghouan.

Even worse, "water is diverted in some rural areas and neighbourhoods close to the cities for agricultural use. This phenomenon has been exacerbated by the rainfall deficit and the drying up of wells. The company is faced with the problem of illegal connections to its network, i.e. 500 connections throughout the country, in addition to the depredations targeting waterworks to steal copper."

"To reduce the disruptions recorded on the network, the SONEDE has devised a strategy to speed up the pace of implementation of major projects, in order to complete them in the short term. It is also continuing to exploit local underground resources of good quality through the drilling of deep wells in certain regions.

"Likewise, an annual programme was drawn up to carry out specific interventions in regions with drinking water supply problems during the peak period, in order to reduce disruptions and interruptions."

However, "citizens and companies must become aware of the scarcity of water in Tunisia and the importance of rationalising consumption," Saïdi underlined.

80% of water resources in Tunisia are used for agriculture and 17% for other uses, including industrial and tourist uses.

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