A property developer asking for a 120 m³ treatment plant, a six-bedroom villa with a pool in Oualidia that wants central filtration, a hotel project on the Atlantic coast: the developers and operators who consult us share the same question. How do you become water-independent, stay within the law and irrigate green spaces without using drinking water?
A largely untapped potential
Morocco reused 52.6 million m³ of treated wastewater in 2024 and aims for 100 million m³ per year by 2027. Yet according to the Cour des comptes, Morocco's court of auditors (January 2026), out of a tertiary treatment capacity of 231 million m³ a year, 194 million (84%) are discharged without being reused. Golf courses are already the largest user of treated water: in January 2020 the government announced that they would be irrigated only with treated wastewater, and the drought measures banned watering green spaces with drinking water.
The legal framework
- Mandatory sanitation: urban areas must have sewers and treatment plants (article 107 of Law 36-15); in rural areas without a sewer, the law provides for approved on-site sanitation systems (article 108).
- Reuse (articles 64 to 69): the water must meet quality standards suited to its intended use, the additional treatment is paid by the user, and reuse requires an ABH authorisation for up to 20 years. It is banned for drinking and food contact (article 65).
- Benefits: reused water is exempt from the fee (article 27) and the ABH can grant financial support (article 68).
Which plant for which project?
For a hotel, a residence or a housing development, a compact treatment plant is the most common solution. The technology is chosen according to load, available space and target quality:
- SBR activated sludge: robust, suited to a hotel's seasonal load variations;
- MBBR (moving bed): very compact, ideal for extending an existing site;
- MBR (membrane bioreactor): very high-quality water, directly reusable after disinfection, in a small footprint.
For irrigation, tertiary treatment is added: filtration, UV disinfection or chlorination, then a storage basin and the drip or sprinkler network. Sludge is thickened and dewatered for easy removal.
Sizing it right
The key data are the number of population equivalents or rooms, occupancy in high and low season, peak flows (restaurants, laundry, spa), the area to irrigate and the available space. A plant undersized for high season is a frequent cause of malfunction.
Pools too
In 2024, in the areas concerned, restriction measures limited pool filling to once a year and required a recycling system. Efficient filtration and suitable treatment keep the water all season: see our solutions for pools and for hospitality.
A hotel, residential or golf project? Send us your water analysis or describe your need: our engineers will reply with a technical proposal and a price. Request a quote · Contact us
Sources
- Law no. 36-15 on water (loi 36-15), consolidated text (SGG, 30/07/2025) — sgg.gov.ma
- Wastewater reuse: 2027 targets — Le360
- Cour des comptes: 194 Mm³ discharged without reuse — Médias24, 29/01/2026
- Golf irrigation with treated water — TelQuel, 28/01/2020
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.