Mauritius Water Supply from Mare-Longue Could Double This Sunday

Mauritius could see a significant boost to its water supply as early as this Sunday, according to a announcement by Patrick Assirvaden, the Minister of Energy and Public Utilities. He said the volume of water being transferred from the Mare-Longue reservoir in the south of the island to the La Marie water treatment plant in the centre could double in the coming days.

The Mare-Longue reservoir, located in the Savanne district in the south of Mauritius, is one of the island's key water storage facilities. La Marie, situated near Quatre-Bornes in the Plaines Wilhems region, is home to one of the central water treatment plants operated by the Central Water Authority (CWA), the government body responsible for water production and distribution across the island.

Increasing the transfer volume between these two points is a critical step in addressing the ongoing water shortages that have affected large parts of Mauritius in recent months. Many households across the island have been experiencing intermittent or severely reduced water supply, with some areas receiving water for only a few hours a day or relying on tanker truck deliveries.

The minister's announcement signals that work to increase pumping capacity or pipeline throughput between the two sites is nearing completion. If the transfer volume does double from Sunday, the CWA would have significantly more treated water available to distribute across its network, potentially reducing the frequency and duration of supply cuts for affected residents.

The water crisis in Mauritius has been driven by a combination of factors, including below-average rainfall over recent seasons, aging infrastructure, and growing demand from a rising residential and tourist population. The southern reservoirs, including Mare-Longue, have benefited from better rainfall patterns in that part of the island compared to the drier central plateau, making the transfer route to La Marie a strategic priority.

Authorities have been under pressure to accelerate infrastructure improvements after weeks of public frustration over dry taps and long waits for water tankers. The CWA and the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities have announced several parallel measures, including a water grant scheme to help households install storage tanks, which has itself attracted up to 500 applications a day.

What this means: If the pumping volume from Mare-Longue to La Marie does double from Sunday as the minister has indicated, households and businesses in areas served by the La Marie treatment plant, including parts of Quatre-Bornes, Beau-Bassin, Rose-Hill and surrounding districts, could see a noticeable improvement in their water supply in the days that follow. However, the full impact will depend on how quickly additional treated water can be fed through the existing distribution network.

Source: Le Defi Media