Morocco builds treatment plants to stop olive mill pollution in Sebou basin

The Sebou River Basin Agency and its partners built 14 treatment plants across seven provinces in Morocco to manage wastewater from olive mills.

These facilities cost nearly Dh658 million and aim to protect rivers and groundwater from pollution caused by olive oil production. The plants have a combined annual treatment capacity of 709,751 cubic meters. The project distributes treatment capabilities across several major olive-growing regions, including Taounate, Sefrou, Ouezzane, Moulay Yacoub, Meknes, Fez, and Sidi Kacem.

These facilities ensure that liquid waste is treated away from the presses and prevented from entering natural environments during the heavy pressing season. Specific installations include three plants in Taounate, three in Sefrou, and a single facility in Ouezzane. Other locations received multiple plants to handle local production volumes, such as the Aïn Beïda facility in Fez which handles 118,400 cubic meters annually.

These efforts address the environmental threat posed by the massive volume of waste generated in Morocco's primary olive-growing areas.