The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group has approved a €111.5 million financing package to modernise and enhance the technical and energy performance of the drinking water network in Greater Tunis, a strategic area home to nearly 2.7 million people. The project will help secure the supply of drinking water, reduce technical losses, and optimise the energy consumption of the distribution system.
"This project will sustainably strengthen the performance of the Greater Tunis drinking water network and improve service quality for citizens," said Malinne Blomberg, African Development Bank's Country Manager and Deputy Director General for North Africa. "It will also help lower the water sector's energy bill, optimize the use of existing infrastructure, and reinforce the distribution system against the impacts of climate variability."
The operation is aligned with Tunisia's national agenda to improve public drinking water services. It aims to equip the Société nationale d'exploitation et de distribution des eaux (SONEDE) with modern tools, infrastructure, and technical capacities to significantly reduce water losses, upgrade networks, and enhance the resilience of facilities to climate change and growing demographic pressure.
The project includes several key components. The first involves renewing approximately 150 km of water pipelines to reduce physical losses across the network. It also provides for the modernization of distribution, pumping, and storage facilities by integrating higher performance and energy-efficient equipment. Digital supervision and control solutions will be deployed to improve real-time network management. Finally, the project includes technical capacity strengthening for SONEDE and support for the modernization of its management systems.
This strategic investment responds to a dual imperative: consolidating water security for the capital and reducing the sector's energy footprint. The expected benefits are substantial: lower water losses, improved service continuity, reduced operating costs, and better anticipation of needs linked to climate change.
"By modernising one of the country's most important water networks, Tunisia is taking a significant step toward water resilience and energy efficiency," emphasised Tarek Bouhlel, Director General for African Cooperation at the Ministry of Economy and Planning. "The African Development Bank's support strengthens our ability to guarantee reliable and sustainable services to the population of Greater Tunis."
The project is fully aligned with national priorities in energy transition, sustainable water resource management, and the modernisation of public infrastructure.
With this new operation, the African Development Bank reaffirms its commitment to supporting Tunisia in transforming its essential services, securing its drinking water supply, and improving the well-being of its population.
