Fez-Meknes Region Enforces Strict Water Rationing Measures on Hammams, Car Washes, and Agriculture Amid Severe Water Stress

FEZ (FesNews Media) — Water conservation measures across the Fez-Meknes region have entered a decisive enforcement phase through a series of provincial gubernatorial decrees aimed at curbing excessive water consumption across domestic, commercial, urban, and agricultural sectors amid mounting pressure on regional water reserves.

Provincial Restrictions Across Five Key Provinces

Rather than applying a uniform blanket ban, provincial authorities in Meknes, Taounate, Moulay Yacoub, El Hajeb, and Ifrane have adopted tailored regulatory frameworks addressing specific local water vulnerabilities:

• Meknes & Moulay Yacoub: Authorities have prohibited the planting of natural turf, the irrigation of public parks and sports fields with potable water, and street washing using drinking water networks. Traditional public baths (hammams) and car wash stations have been restricted to operating four days per week, while private and public swimming pools are limited to a single filling per year.
• Taounate Agricultural Shift: Provincial decrees have banned water-intensive crops and high-consumption vegetables that deplete groundwater tables, redirecting agricultural support toward priority staple crops, grains, and livestock fodder essential for dairy production.
• Unlicensed Extraction Crackdown: Field committees are intensifying inspections against unauthorized borehole drilling and unlicensed pumping from springs and wells across rural communes.

Dual Strategy: Network Rehabilitation and Consumption Auditing

Alongside consumption limits, regional water operators and local authorities are accelerating technical interventions to detect and repair leaks across municipal distribution networks, ensuring that water rationing is paired with structural efficiency across the Fez-Meknes hydraulic basin.