KINGDOM OF MOROCCO

NATIONAL POTABLE WATER AUTHORITY

(OFFICE NATIONAL DE L’EAU POTABLE)

REGIONAL POTABLE WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS PROJECT

Environmental Assessment

Prepared by:

Dr. Abdelmourhit Lahbabi & Dr. Khalid Anouar

Environmental Consultants

June 23, 2010

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abbreviations and Acronyms 4

Summary 6

1. Introduction 13

2. Administrative, legal and sectoral Framework 14

2.1 Institutional and administrative framework 14

2.2 Legal framework for the sector 14

2.3 World Bank safeguard policies 16

3. Description of the project necessitating the preparation of an EIA and analysis of alternatives 17

3.1 Introduction...... 17

3.2 Project components...... 17

3.3 Project performances indicators 20

3.4 Project alternatives and justification ...... 20

4. Initial status of the environment 21

4.1 SIBEs located in project intervention areas……. ………………………………..21

4.2 Water component 24

4.3 Conclusion on environmental sensitivity 27

5. Environmental impacts analysis 27

5.1 Identification of impacts sources 27

5.2 Impacts analysis 28

6. Public consultations 39

7. Environmental and Social Management Plan 40

7.1 Introduction 40

7.2 Environmental management and coordination 41

7.3 Mitigation of project negative impacts……………………………………………42

7.4 Environmental monitoring plan 45

7.5 Environmental capacity building 54

8. Analysis of project activities in relation to the World Bank environmental and social safeguard policies 56

8.1 Policy OP 4.01: Environmental Assessment 56

8.2 Policy OP 4.12: Involuntary Resettlement 56

8.3 Other Safeguard policies ………………………………………………………....57

9. Estimated budget for ESMP implementation…………………………………………..59

References 61

Annexes 66

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ANNEXES

ANNEX A: NADOR/DRIOUCH SUB-PROJECT IMPACTS MATRIX

ANNEX B: ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR ERRACHIDIA SUB- PROJET

ANNEX C: IMPACTS MATRIX FOR THE SAFI/YOUSSOUFIA/SIDI BENNOUR SUB-PROJECT

ANNEX D: ENVIRONMENTAL SCREENING DATA GATHERING FORM

– SANITATION COMPONENT

ANNEX E : PROJECT PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

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ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

ABHOR: / Oum Er Rbia Hydraulic Basin Agency (Agence du Bassin Hydraulique d’Oum Er Rbia)
AFD: / French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement)
AM: / Aide Mémoire
Cd: / Cadmium
CHS: / High Service Canal (Canal Haut Service)
CR: / Rural Municipality (Commune Rurale)
CT: / Total Coli form
Cu: / Copper
DAE: / ONEP’S Sanitation and Environmental Department (Direction de l’Assainissement et de l’Environnement)
DEP: / ONEP’s Department for Access to Potable Water (Direction centrale de généralisation de l’Eau Potable)
DGH: / General Department for Hydraulics (Direction Générale de l’Hydraulique)
DTI: / ONEP’s Technical and Engineering Department (Direction Technique et Ingenierie)
EA: / Environmental Assessment
EIA: / Environmental Impact Assessment
ESMP: / Environmental and Social Management Plan
FAO: / Food and Agriculture Organization
FC: / Fecal Coli form
Fe: / Fer (Iron)
GEP: / Universal Water Access Program (Programme de Généralisation de l’Eau Potable)
HC: / Household Connection
IS: / Individual Sanitation
KDh: / One Thousand Dirhams
MDh: / Million of Dirhams
MEMEE: / Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and Environment (Ministère de l’Energie, des Mines, de l’Eau et de l’Environnement )
MMDh : / Milliard de Dirhams (Billion of Dirhams)
Mn: / Manganese
Ni: / Nickel
ONEP: / National Potable Water Authority (Office National de l’Eau Potable)
OP/BP: / Operational Policy – Bank Procedure
PAD: / Project Appraisal Document
Pb: / Lead
PIWS: / Potable and Industrial Water Supply
RADEEJ: / Régie Autonome d’Eau et d’Electricité d’El Jadida
RADEES: / Régie Autonome d’Eau et d’Électricité de Safi
REUD: / Réseau d'Eaux Usées Décantées (Decanted Used Water Network)
RS: / Rural Sanitation
SAR: / Sodium Absorption Ratio
SF: / Streptocoques Fécaux (Fecal Streptococci)
SIBE: / Site d’Intérêt Biologique et Ecologique
(Site of Biological and Ecological Interest)
SMT: / Equipe de Mobilisation Sociale (Social Mobilization Team)
SP: / Standpipe (Public)
WHO: / World Health Organization
WSS: / Water Supply and Sanitation
WTP: / Station de Traitement (Water Treatment Plant)
WWTP: / Station d’Epuration (Waste Water Treatment Plant)
Zn: / Zinc

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SUMMARY

The Government of Morocco has requested support from the World Bank for the financing of the second tranche of the Universal Access to Potable Water Program (Programme de Generalisation de l’Eau Potable –GEP) in the Provinces of Safi, Youssoufia, Sidi Bennour, Errachidia, Driouch and Nador. The proposed project aims at strengthening the supply of potable water (Alimentation en Eau Potable –AEP) in a sustainable manner in the targeted provinces, insuring appropriate management of grey water, promoting hygiene practices in order to reduce the prevalence of waterborne diseases, and improving rural people quality of life.

The project includes a first component that comprises the construction of drinking water plants and/or drillings, as well as regional water transport systems in the above-mentioned provinces. In the case of Nador, Driouch, Safi, Youssoufia and Sidi Bennour provinces, the works also include the installation of "branch pipes" on regional water supply systems to provide water to surrounding ‘douars’ (villages), with regulatory and storage reservoirs, pumping stations, water supply pipes, and supply of potable water (AEP) through standpipes (SP ). A second component deals with grey water management systems, and rural sanitation pilots. This component includes the design, implementation, and supervision of appropriate measures to prevent the occurrence of negative impacts on users’ health, linked to the increase of grey water. A third component is about institutional strengthening and the provision of support for project implementation. This component is designed to build ONEP’s capacity to implement the project, and to provide support to rural communities and users’ associations, including for the development and sustainable management of water supply through individual connections (HC).

According to the World Bank’s safeguard policies and operational procedures, the supply of potable water (AEP) in rural and urban areas project is classified as a category B project, and its implementation must include an Environmental Assessment (EA), as well as an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP). The purpose of this consultancy is to perform an EA, and to develop an ESMP, in accordance with Bank’s procedures.

The water and environmental sectors institutional, legal and regulatory framework is presented in paragraph 2 of this report while the natural environment of the regions targeted by the project is described in paragraph 4 of the said report.

The project environmental assessment in paragraph 5 was developed according to the following three-level approach, including:

Ü  An analysis of the project’s intervention areas natural environment, particularly in order to assess their environmental sensitivity and vulnerability;

Ü  An evaluation of project activities based of project documents, technical studies, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) regarding the three subprojects (Nador/Driouch, Safi/Youssoufia/Sidi Bennour, and Errachidia), and the outcomes of public consultations and visits to some douars;

Ü  An environmental assessment based on an analysis of the type of planned activities, and on an evaluation of their potential impacts on the environment as well as their positive socio-economic consequences for the beneficiaries.

Public consultations were also held in three regions of project intervention, in order to inform the public and stakeholders about project activities, involve them in assessing potential impacts on the environment, and give them the opportunity to make comments and proposals. Public consultations were not organized in Errachidia province, because, in this region, the project is essentially about the renewal of water supply pipes already in place, without the development of new rural water supply standpipes.

According to the assessment performed, the proposed regional potable water supply in rural and urban areas has very positive effects in improving inhabitants’ hygiene and quality of life in targeted areas. Indeed, access to safe water and sanitation services play a vital role in the human development of rural underserved populations. This access is now recognized as a fundamental human right, and is part of the Millennium Development Goals adopted by 189 UN member countries in year 2000. One of these goals is to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without sustainable access to drinking water and sanitation. Among the positive environmental and socio-economic impacts expected from the project, we should mention the following:

Ü  Increased availability of potable water, a vital resource for rural populations’ human development;

Ü  Reduced pressure on groundwater with a beneficial effect on groundwater levels;

Ü  Improved quality of water supplied to households resulting in a decrease in waterborne diseases, especially among children;

Ü  Easier access to potable water resulting in less time spent in fetching water;

Ü  Increased involvement of women in community-based associations;

Ü  Creation of local jobs and contribution to the control of rural-urban migration through the improvement of rural populations living conditions;

Ü  Increased level of environmental awareness among rural people, especially in relation to wastewater;

Ü  Promotion of sustainable practices in rural sanitation;

Ü  Development and dissemination of rural sanitation (RS) equipment adapted to the local rural environment;

Ü  Contribution to the formation of a RS market, and professionalization of the sector with regard to the provision of services, works and supplies.

The environmental assessment of the project helped determine potential negative impacts of project activities on the environment, and specify mitigation measures that could reduce or even eliminate them.

The main adverse effects that could be generated by the project relate to:

Ü  Increased pressure on surface water resources due to additional demand for potable water;

Ü  Generation of wastewater, and soil and water resources pollution risk;

Ü  Risk of increased concentrations of pathogens in groundwater;

Ü  Increased risk of waterborne disease resulting from stagnation of untreated used water or reused as such;

Ü  Temporary and localized nuisance due to the performance of works;

Ü  Additional consumption of electrical energy.

An Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) is proposed within this EA. Its purpose is to integrate environmental protection concerns into project design, planning, management and implementation. The Environmental and Social Management Plan includes in paragraph 7 of this report the following four components: (i) Environmental management and coordination; (ii) Project negativeimpacts mitigation; (iii) Project environmental performance monitoring and surveillance plan; and (iv) Environmental capacity building program.

With the exception of the sanitation component, the Environmental Assessment confirmed that the project negative impacts on the environment range from minor to moderate. No major negative and irreversible impact has been identified.

Particular attention has been given in the report to rural sanitation as a project component. The analysis of used water impact on the environment linked to potable water supply in rural areas has identified two categories of douars:

·  The douars that are supplied through SP or HC, the impacts of which will be controlled under the support program provided as part of the project;

·  The concentrated douars posing saturation risks, with illegal wastewater discharge in case of HC and / or are located in sensitive areas (near a protected area, or vulnerable water resources, etc.).

For the first category of douars, the project provides an integrated support program for the creation of a provincial IS market, stakeholders awareness and capacity building (CRs, equipment suppliers, local construction enterprises, services providers, etc.), and dissemination of successful RS experiences. The program also calls for the implementation of improved or standardized high standing IS pilot projects, and shared (semi-collectifs) or collective appropriate systems.

Regarding the second category of douars, despite their relatively small number, it remains that without the provision of adequate sanitation services, they have the potential to generate major negative impacts on the environment, and, consequently, be considered ’black spots’ on the project.

The proposed mitigation measures of potential negative impacts for this category of douars involve the use of a screening tool designed to identify them as a condition to project’s implementation. Once identified, these douars should be subjected to a specific sanitation study in order to determine the appropriate sanitation system. WS through individual connections (HC) for these douars should be conditional on the adoption of the recommended sewerage system.

The screening tool and the rationale for determining the selection criteria for the douars, according to the impact of greywater on the environment, are presented in the report.

The proposed approach allows to overcome the constraints related to the diversity of douars, particularly in terms of habitat, and to propose differentiated mitigation measures. It is expected that the environmental impact of generated greywater will be reduced and localized, with the implementation of the RS component associated program, and the use of the screening tool to identify the douars and deal with potential impacts on the environment that they may present, as well as strengthen the project RS environmental monitoring component.

The proposed accompanying program will support the initiation of RS solutions adapted to the local conditions, and consistent with ONEP’s current mandate. It is also hoped that the ongoing initiatives of the other concerned public entities will soon allow the adoption of a national strategy for RS development, with a wider mandate for ONEP to provide optimized and integrated support for RWS and sanitation projects. Such a strategy will build on the project achievements in order to insure RS systematic incorporation in WS projects.

Furthermore, project activities have been analyzed to determine their compliance with the World Bank environmental and social safeguards policies. The diagnosis performed confirms that the project is a B category project, and its compliance with all the Bank’s applicable operational policies.

In summary, the environmental impacts analysis shows that the project has obvious positive impacts on the concerned populations in terms of social, economic, and health matters. With the implementation of the ESMP proposed solutions, especially those recommended for an appropriate management of generated greywater, these benefits are sustainable and will improve the living standards of the populations targeted by the project. The following table summarizes the positive and negative impacts, and presents mitigation, surveillance and monitoring measures.

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SUMMARY OF IMPACTS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MITIGATION AND MONITORING MEASURES

Source of the impact / Environment/ affected element / Negative impacts / Positive impacts
Nature of the impact / Intensity / Nature of the impact / Intensity
Mobilizing and using water resources / Water / Increased pressure on a depleting resource
Mitigation: Awareness-raising of the public on water conservation / Average / Easy access to Drinking Water, including increased quantity and better quality: socio-economic, health and economic impacts are very positive with a clear improvement in the quality of life of the rural people served / Major
Preservation of groundwater resources / Average
Water treatment / Water and soil / Risk of soil and water resources pollution through mud.
Mitigation: Sludge treatment and disposal of treated sludge in controlled landfills / Average / Water purification / Major
Risk of accidental pollution by waste water or uncontrolled chemical products.
Mitigation: Developing a plan to prevent risks of accidental pollution.
Monitoring: WTPs Environmental audits after the first year of operation. / Moderate
Supply works, and special construction works / Water, soil and air / Dust, noise, hydrocarbon emissions and waste oil discharge, solid waste, and road traffic disruption.
Mitigation: best management practices regarding constructional works. ONEP requirements for managing environmental and social projects. / Weak impact, localized and transient / Jobs creation (local workers are solicited for the works ) - tertiary sector development / Weak
Source of the impact / Environment/ affected element / Negative impacts / Positive impacts
Nature of the impact / Intensity / Nature of the impact / Intensity
Used water
Douars CI[1] / Water and soil / Risk of saturation and illegal discharge of wastewater - Risk of increased concentrations of pathogens in water and soil - Risks of waterborne diseases.
Mitigation: Identification through screening process - specific RS studies, and HC conditionality: implementation of appropriate treatment system recommended by the studies.
Monitoring:
·  Adoption of a performance indicator for specific RS project activities;
·  Monitoring water quality in pilot douars;
·  AR component evaluation study after second year of program activity. / Major / ·  Contribution to the implementation of the national RS strategy (in preparation).
·  Development and implementation of RS solutions adapted to rural areas.
·  Creation of a RS market
·  RS stakeholders awareness-raising and capacity building (Rural municipalities, households, suppliers, construction and transport enterprises, etc.).
·  Creation of stable jobs for skilled workers.
·  Contribution to the reduction of waterborne diseases due to lack of AR / Major
Used water
Douars CII2 / Water and soil / Risk of soil and water contamination. Risk of waterborne diseases.
Mitigation: Identification through screening and support for the implementation of improved or high-standing IS solutions
Monitoring:
• Adoption of a specific performance indicator for RS project activities.
• Monitoring of water quality in the pilot douars.
• Evaluation study of the RS program component after the second year of program activity.
/ Moderate

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