Water - to wash with, swim in and CONSERVE
WATER CONSERVATION
Please help Morocco by saving water. There is a serious problem of depletion of fossil ground water reserves in the Souss Valley as a result of the excessive demands for irrigation and the demands of a growing population. In some areas the water table has fallen tens of meters which has caused a big problem for smaller farmers because they cannot afford the high cost of digging a deeper borehole.
We would very much appreciate it if you would help minimize the effect of your stay by;-
- Showers. We use Ecocamel shower heads which save water by drawing air into the showerhead giving a powerful shower and only consume about half the amount a normal shower head uses
- Washbasins. Please try not to leave taps running whilst shaving or cleaning teeth.
- Laundry. If you can take your clothes home to wash. If you do need to wash them here please try to use water that has been drained into buckets whilst waiting for your shower to run hot.
- Toilets Our Roca Debba toilets use much less water than most and the shape of them makes them flush efficiently. We suggest that you don’t flush urine during the night to avoid disturbing others.
- Towels. We do not offer unnecessary daily laundering of towels; they are normally changed twice a week. Please ask if you would like clean towels. Your towel can be kept fresh longer by being dried in the sun.
Rest assured that we do not waste your grey water (from showers, the hammam, washbasins & some of the kitchen sinks) and rainwater. It gets cleaned in gravel trenches and ends up in the huge tank under the courtyard from where it is diverted for irrigation.
DRINKING WATER
Your supply comes from deep below the ground surface where it has been naturally filtered as it passes through the bed rocks which include limestones, so you will find the water is quite hard. It has also been (lightly) chlorinated, so it is perfectly safe and tastes good. If you prefer bottled water, you can obtain the Moroccan carbonated water Oulmes in returnable glass bottles, or the Moroccan still water Sidi Ali (said to be the best in Africa) at most of the tiny shops in the town. If using bottled water please put the empties in our plastic recycling bin under the big serving table in the dining room.
HOT WATER FOR SHOWERS
Our hot water is produced by solar panels on the roof (with a mean of over 3000 sunshine hours per annum which is a pretty reliable method!) Although the tanks are well insulated but you will find the greatest quantity of hot water is available in the late afternoon/evenings or on sunny days, so we suggest that clothes are washed on sunny days (most days, in fact) and that showers are taken in the evenings, especially in mid winter when the long often cloudless nights lead to the water cooling. If ever water is not hot enough to shower please tell us IMMEDIATELY – we have solutions
SWIMMING
Our pool: is chlorine-free. NB the insulated cover is only removed when the pool is in use. Please ask if you want it unrolled. Why? It both heats the water and keeps the heat in as well as preventing evaporation (and this conserving precious water) and debris getting in the pool. The pool is relatively warm in winter because the tiles are dark coloured (can raise the temperature 4 to 5 degrees centigrade), there is very little shade over the pool and Taroudant is the warmest town in Morocco in the winter.
In town: for those who want to do very serious swimming the new Municipal Pool on the northern edge of town near the university is an option. It has uninterrupted views of the High Atlas, a children’s play area, a children’s pool, a café with Wifi and a 50 metre long Olympic Pool. The only thing it lacks is private changing facilities so we suggest you carry a suitable garment or towel to change under.
Out of town: there are opportunities to swim on some of excursions – wild swimming on a trek in the High Atlas if there is enough water, but be aware access to the pools requires some careful climbing in suitable footwear.