Four million litres of desalinated water thrown annually in the sea

Desalination plants throw four million litres of desalinated potable water in the sea annually, at a rate of 12.000 liters per day, and this is what makes Algeria pay for this wasted water a sum worth 21 billion DZD.

Sonatrach group signed a contract with the desalination plants for the exploitation of sea water and desalinate it at a price $60 per cubic meter, as Algeria pays the price of desalinated water steadily, whether if this water is consumed or thrown into the sea, what makes Algerialose large amounts of water, which exploitation is estimated to billions, while many areas suffer from the crisis of thirst throughout the year.

Dr. Djamal Toumani, an engineer, who specializes in the management of desalination plants said that the Energy Ministry, represented bySonatrach, oversees the conduct of seawater desalination plants and not the Ministry of Water Resources, under an agreement that was concluded by Algeria in 2003 with international companies that are specialized in the desalination of sea water, which required financial guarantees for the success of their projects, and this is what made Algeria entrusted Sonatrach to sign contracts with these companies,because Sonatrach had at that period a good international reputation and financial liquidity that attracted these companies.

“These contracts required stations to desalinate 200.000 cubic litres of water per day, as Algeria has 8 operational stations, which areHamma, Beni Saf, Marsa Hadjadj, Arzew, Cap Djanet, Henine, Skikda and Maktaa in Mostaganem, and for water that Algeria can not be directed to consumers, because of the fullness of dams in winter and an imbalance in the distribution network or maintenance of channels, thestations are forced to throw large amounts of desalinated water in the sea, and this represents a great loss to Algeria”.