Water supply and sanitation in Algeria

Reservoirs are a major source of drinking water in Algeria. For example, the Taksebt reservoir provides drinking water for residents of three provinces.

Since rainfall is highly seasonal, surface water is stored in 72 reservoirs with a total production capacity of 7.4 billion m³ per year in 2009.[13] Most of this water is used for irrigation. Total drinking water supply was about 2.8 billion m³ per year.[7] One of the largest reservoir systems in Algeria is the Beni Haroun complex in Mila Province that supplies water for irrigation and drinking water to 4 million people in six provinces in the East of Algeria. Another large system is the Taksebt complex in Tizi Ouzou in Kabylie. It supplies three provinces, including parts of the capital Algiers, with drinking water. In the Bouira Province, water is supplied from the Koudiat Acerdoune dam. The longest water transfer project in Algeria, dubbed "project of the century", transfers non-renewable groundwater from In Salah to Tamanrasset in the Sahara over a distance of 750 km.[13] It was completed in 2011 at a cost of US$2.5 billion.[14]

In some parts of the country, such as in the valleys of El Oued and Ouargla, a rising water table due to seepage from septic tanks was a major problem. Beginning in 2005 at a cost of almost US$1 billion sewers were laid, pumping stations and treatment plants were built to convey the reclaimed water to agricultural areas for reuse.[7]

Pollution of water resources has reached a worrying degree. Groundwater in the Mitidja plain close to Algiers is polluted with nitrates, and groundwater in coastal areas is often damaged by saline intrusion from the sea due to overpumping. This is the case in the Oran, Algiers and Jijel areas. Major parts of the rivers Tafna, Macta, Chéliff, Soummam and Seybousse are polluted. Some of them, such as the country's largest river, the Chéliff that supplies the Oran area, are used for drinking water supply. In the Constantine area the level of manganese and of chlorides in drinking water was close to those allowed by the WHO as of 2004.[15]

Algeria had 15 seawater desalination plants along its coast in 2011 with a capacity of 2.3 million m³/day. It plans to build 43 more until 2019. Several desalination plants supply the Oran area that is particularly water-scarce. The first one was inaugurated in 2005 under the name Kahrama close to the industrial zone of Arzew. 20,000 m³/day are supplied to industry and 70,000 m³/day to the city. Two smaller plants became operational a few months later. In 2009 the first phase of a much larger plant with a capacity of 200,000 m³/day was put into production in Chatt el Hilal to supply Aïn Témouchent and Oran. Another 200,000 m³/day plant in Mostaganem was under construction as of 2010, as well as a plant in Mactaa with a capacity of 500,000 m³/day, making it one of the largest plants in the world.[16] Prior to the completion of the Mactaa plant, the Hamma plant in Algiers completed in 2008 was the largest desalination plant in Africa with a capacity of 200,000 m³/day.[17]

Water pollution is a serious issue in Algeria, as shown here in the Oued Soummam.

The reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation is a priority of the state. A government decree – Decree No. 07-149 of 20 May 2007 – sets out the procedures to grant a permit for the use of reclaimed water for irrigation. However, as of 2010 only 510 hectares were irrigated with reclaimed water. An additional 3,800 hectares were fully equipped for reuse without being operated. Studies for additional projects for irrigation of another 9,800 hectares with reclaimed water were completed.[7]

The water distribution system in Algeria is 105,000 km long.[2] AdE manages a network of 50,000 km as well as 2,528 wells, 72 water treatment plants, 10 desalination plants, 1,141 pumping stations and 4,798 reservoirs.[18]

The sewer system is 41,000 km long and there are 113 municipal wastewater treatment plants, including 56 using activated sludge technology and 67 mostly smaller plants using different kinds of lagoon technologies. There were only 18 plants in the country in 2000; 96 more plants were under construction in 2011.[7]

The Ministry of Water Resources is in charge of policy-making for drinking water supply and sanitation, as well as for water resources management. Within the Ministry there is a directorate for drinking water and another directorate for sanitation and the environment. The Ministry also has 48 branches in each province (wilaya) of Algeria.

80% of water distribution systems in Algeria are under the responsibility of Algérienne des Eaux (AdE), a state-owned company.[18] Most sewer systems are under the responsibility of the Office National d'Assainissement (ONA). Both entities were created in 2001 and operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Water Resources that was established a year earlier.[19]

AdE serves 3.4 million customers in 814 out of 1,541 municipalities. By law it is charged not only to provide water services, but also to promote water conservation and to increase public awareness. The company operates extensive water transmission systems that transfer water over long distances, often covering several provinces. AdE has branches (unités) in each of the country's 48 provinces. In each of the four largest cities of Algeria, a joint subsidiary of AdE and ONA provides water and sanitation services:

• SEEAL in Algiers and in neighboring Tipaza,
• SEACO in Constantine,
• SEOR in Oran, and
• SEATA in Annaba and in neighboring El Tarf.

In other parts of its service area, AdE directly provides water services through 15 "zones", each comprising two to four provinces. In 2014, AdE had 25,000 employees.[18]

ONA operates sanitation systems on behalf of 708 municipalities and has more than 8,000 employees.[19] It operates 68 wastewater treatment plants, about half the plants in the country. The remainder are operated by private companies operating under management contracts in the largest cities or by municipalities.[7]

The Algerian Energy Company (AEC) develops power plants as well as desalination plants. It is a subsidiary of Sonatrach and Sonelgaz.

The private sector operates the water supply and sanitation systems of three large cities, i.e. Algiers, Oran and Constantine, under management contracts with AdE and ONA.

The Tamanrasset area in the Algerian Sahara benefited from a water transfer over a distance of 750km, completed in 2001 at a cost 2.5 billion US dollars.

Algeria plans to invest 20 billion US dollar in the water sector during the Five-Year Plan 2010-2014.[5] Dams, which have accounted for 43% of water investments in 1995–2004, continue to be an important focus of water investments.[7] Most investments are financed by the Algerian state from its vast oil and gas revenues. However, many desalination plants are financed by foreign direct investment through Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contracts.

The legal basis for water and sanitation tariffs is Decree 05-13 of January 9, 2005, on tariff policy (politique de tarification). It specifies five tariff zones: the hydrographic zones of Algiers, Oran, Costantine, Chlef and Ouargla covering together the entire country. However, in practice water and sanitation tariffs are almost the same throughout the zones, with tariffs being only 3 percent lower in the Chlef zone and about 8 percent lower in the Ouargla zones compared to the three other zones. Tariffs comprise a fixed and a variable component. The decree also defines three user categories: residential; administration and services; as well as industrial and touristic. The variable tariff component for residential users increases by consumption blocks. In the highest of the four blocks is 6.5 times more expensive than in the lowest block. The tariff in the other two user categories corresponds to the tariff in the highest residential consumption block.[3] Tariffs are very low and are far from covering the costs of supply. Tariff increases have to be approved by the national government.

The first block of the residential tariffs, also called "social block" (tranche sociale), is charged until a consumption of 25 cubic meter per quarter, corresponding to 55 liter per capita per day for a family of five. In 2005 this tariff was 6.3 Algerian Dinar per cubic meter or 9 US Cents in the Algiers, Oran and Constantine zones.[4] In 2014, this tariff remained unchanged according to the website of AdE.[20] This tariff is about 20 times lower than water tariffs in Central Europe. The sewer tariff is even lower than the water tariff. For residential users in the first block in the zones Algiers, Constantine and Annaba it is 2.35 Algerian dinar per cubic meter or 3 US cents.[7]