Zouitina Dam

Intercepting and retaining what nature reserves for us in excess, and then reusing it to reduce our impact on nature itself. This is the reasoning behind the Zouitina dam, the main element of the Oued Barbara hydroelectric plant in Tunisia. The complex is tasked with capturing and storing the excess waters of the Barbara River, in the northwest region of Tunisia, near the border with Algeria. These waters are then redistributed for irrigation purposes and to contribute to the supply of drinking water in the northern regions of the country, including the city of Tunis.

It is an earth dam with a central clay core, located on the Barbara River about 6 km southwest of Hammam Bourguiba. It is 72 m high and 10 m wide at its main part, with a crest length of 610 m. The complex is completed, on the left bank, by a 550-meter-long diversion tunnel fully lined with concrete, with an excavation section of 11.50 m². The tunnel, equipped with an intake structure and a 60-m-high control gate shaft with an excavation diameter of 7 m, will also be used as a bottom outlet. Two inspection and drainage galleries, one on the right bank and the other on the left bank, respectively 230 m and 200 m long and with a section of 2.50 m x 2.00 m (circular arch). The project also includes drilling and injection works for the consolidation of the foundations and shoulders of the dam, complementary works, and access roads.