Foul-Smelling Tap Water Alarms Rabat Residents, Prompts Health Concerns

Foul-smelling water has gushed from the taps for three days. Enough to worry the residents of the Youssoufia, Yacoub Mansour and Takadoum neighborhoods. Some have been forced to buy mineral water in supermarkets to avoid any health risk, while others have been forced to drink this water, reports the Arabic daily Al Akhbar. Consequence: they experienced cramps and stomach pains.

This has angered the residents. After deploring the lack of communication from the elected officials and the mayor, as well as the lack of prevention by the water distribution company of the change in water quality, they call for an investigation to determine the responsibilities of each. Civil society actors have, for their part, called on the authorities to carry out physiological and bacteriological analyses on the drinking water in the neighborhoods concerned, which will have to guarantee the quality of the drinking water and determine the origin of this foul odor.

According to the explanations of a municipal official, the tap water is chlorinated. He had also justified this "pollution" of the water by the change in flow after the modification of the water supply system or the reduction of the flow in several cities including Rabat or the interconnection project of the Sebou and Bouregreg water basins.