Waterleau builds water purification plants in Moroccan cities

The Flemish environmental concern Waterleau has opened a new water purification plant in Bouskoura, a brand new city located about 15 kilometres from Morocco’s economic hub, Casablanca. The city was built to make it easier for businessmen to drive from this ‘Ville Verte’ green city to Rabat or the airport, avoiding the traffic jams of Casablanca. The country plans to erect about ten similar cities throughout Morocco by 2015. At this stage Bouskoura is still under construction and will only be completed within the next two years, when it will boast a fully functional infrastructure including electricity and water supply, streets, access roads etc. Eventually accommodating in the region of 50 000 residents, Bouskoura is set to become a recreation centre with three golf courses for the higher middle class, which is growing fast as a result of the country’s emergence as an economic force. And this is where Waterleau comes into the picture. “Golf is by far the most popular sport among the emerging middle class,” says Annisa Temsamani, who is responsible for all Waterleau‘s international PR and government relations. “To irrigate the courses, however, no drinking water may be used. That’s where we have a role to play.” In respect of the new city’s residential character, the Flemish environmental company had to limit any visual, smell and noise disturbance caused by the purification plant. The technology they use was developed in partnership with the Louvain University. The Bouskoura project, which was announced during the Flemish trade mission to Morocco, has a total investment value of 8 million euros. Once it’s up and running, it will purify 8 000 m3 of waste water per day. This makes it much smaller than the other installations the business has so far built in 5 Moroccan cities, the biggest one being in Marrakesh. Today this popular tourist destination purifies 120 000 cubic metres of waste water each day for the irrigation of six golf courses, which the city hopes to eventually increase to 18. In Fez, Waterleau purifies the waste water that flows into the Oued Sebou River, a river which runs through the entire country. Waterleau also has a plant in Khemisset and one in Dakhla, in the western Sahara. In addition to their water purification operations, they are also active in the field of sludge treatment, waste incineration and even the generation of green energy. Last year the company recorded a turnover of 75 million euros. The investment companies Four Winds Capital and Indufen hold a 40 percent share of the capital in the form of convertible obligations. Founder Luc Vriens has a 37% share and the management the remaining 23%.