Industrial discharges in Morocco: what Law 36-15 says and how to bring your site into compliance

In September 2026 a manufacturer wrote to us: its discharge of 70 m³ a day has a conductivity of 15,000 µS/cm, against a limit of 2,700 µS/cm. The request sums up a situation more and more Moroccan manufacturers face: a formal notice, a customer audit or a permit renewal reveals that the site's discharge is not compliant, and a solution is needed quickly.

Paint shops, textile screen printing, industrial laundries, water-based inks and glues, steelworks, food processing: the sectors that consult us vary, but the legal framework is the same for all.

What Law 36-15 on water says

• Discharge authorisation (article 98): any discharge that could harm the quality of the public water domain requires an authorisation from the river basin agency (ABH) and payment of a fee.
• Content of the authorisation (article 101): volume, maximum flow, analyses by an approved laboratory and compliance with the discharge limit values (VLR).
• Administrative sanctions (article 102): the ABH can suspend the authorisation or even have the installation closed.
• Discharge into the sewer (article 109): an industrial discharge into the public sewer requires the prior authorisation of the network operator and must meet the network's limit values. The law expressly mentions the manufacturer's pretreatment system.
• Fines: MAD 10,000 to 500,000 for an unauthorised discharge (article 147) and MAD 10,000 to 50,000 for a non-compliant discharge into the sewer (article 148).

Decree no. 2-04-553 of 24 January 2005 sets the framework for discharges. The general limit values are defined by joint order (arrêté) no. 2942-13 of 7 October 2013, applicable since 1 January 2018. Specific values exist for some activities (cement works, hot-dip galvanising) and for urban wastewater. These texts predate Law 36-15: have your ABH or network operator confirm the values that apply to your site. Finally, a draft decree setting limits for liquid discharges into the coastal environment was presented at the end of 2025: coastal sites would do well to anticipate it.

Support provided for by law

It is often overlooked: article 99 provides that the holder of a discharge authorisation may receive financial and technical support from the ABH when the planned treatment meets the regulations. It is worth asking your agency before committing to the investment.

Customers and buyers are watching too

Beyond the administration, environmental audits by European customers, ISO 14001 certification and ESG questionnaires now ask for evidence: discharge authorisation, regular analyses, sludge register. An uncontrolled discharge can cost an export contract.

Steps to compliance

1. Characterise the effluent: hourly and daily flows, pH, COD, BOD5, TSS, oils and greases, metals, conductivity, temperature. A sampling campaign over several days avoids undersizing.
2. Reduce at source: separate process, washing and rain water, recover concentrated baths, optimise rinsing.
3. Choose the treatment line:
   • physical pretreatment: screening, grit removal, oil removal;
   • physico-chemical: neutralisation, coagulation-flocculation, lamella settling or dissolved air flotation (DAF), very effective on effluents loaded with grease, paint and ink;
   • biological (activated sludge, MBBR, SBR) for organic pollution;
   • membranes (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis) when salinity or conductivity exceed the limit, or to reuse the water.
4. Manage the sludge: thickening, dewatering and a suitable disposal route.
5. Commission and monitor: operator training, self-monitoring, a maintenance contract. We also restart existing plants that never reached their design performance.

Treat to reuse

With water stress, treating your effluent to recycle it on site can be more profitable than paying for water and the fee. Law 36-15 exempts internal recycling by the holder of the abstraction authorisation from the reuse authorisation (article 66). Discover our industrial wastewater treatment solutions.

Sources

• Law no. 36-15 on water (loi 36-15), consolidated text (SGG, 30/07/2025) — sgg.gov.ma
• Decree no. 2-04-553 of 24 January 2005 on discharges (Bulletin officiel no. 5292)
• Joint order (arrêté) no. 2942-13 of 7 October 2013 setting the general discharge limit values
• Draft decree on liquid discharges into the coastal environment — TelQuel, 24/11/2025

Information article, up to date on 14 November 2026. It does not replace the official texts or the advice of your river basin agency (ABH) or network operator.