Environmental diagnosis of traditional hammams of Dar Bouazza’s Commune, Morocco

Traditional hammams are essential elements in Moroccan social and cultural life. They consume large quantities of wood energy and water and therefore release equivalent quantities of wastewater and black smoke and ash. The nuisances they generate prevent them from developing sustainably: deterioration of the environment, lower profits taking into account energy bill. In this context, the Eco–Hammam project was initiated to implement innovative solutions adapted to the local context to limit the negative impacts of hammams on the environment and reduce water and wood energy consumption. This will be done through the treatment and reuse of wastewater through a compact system with heat recovery and the use of alternative energy sources to increase the energy efficiency of traditional steam rooms. To do this, first, an inventory was established at the level of traditional hammams of the Commune of Dar Bouazza (suburbs of Casablanca) in terms of water and energy. Then, the quality of incoming and outgoing water from these units was evaluated. The results obtained show that the management of some hammams is not rational and leads to excessive consumption of water and wood energy. These hammams contribute significantly to air pollution through the release of harmful gases, the waste of water and ultimately the degradation of the forests and contamination of the water table.