Affordable drinking water in a high-salinity area

Southeast of Dakar, the region of Kaolack is properly irrigated, but the issue of access to drinking water remains a serious concern for the inhabitants. In 1985, Caritas drilled a 300 meter deep borehole for the village of Nguécokh, and built an 80 cubic meter water tower. The water, available in sufficient amounts for the cattle and to cover human needs in terms of food, hygiene and laundry, nevertheless remained unfit to drink.

This is because due to the advance of an inlet, the salinity of the groundwater is too high to drink. In addition, the fluorine content is so abnormally high here (3.5 mg/l) as to be a real a health hazard, the cause of osteoporosis and paralysis.

To provide a reliable answer to this problem, the NGO Enda Tiers Monde is carrying out a mini-water supply project using the process developed by Water Power: pretreatment of the water by the reverse osmosis technology, disinfection treatment and pH adjustment. The future facility requires the training of skilled personnel, in this case two operators and a technician. As a team of three, they will be responsible for running the unit, managing the water flow rates and volumes treated, and replenishing the water tower.

With this pilot project, Enda and Water Power, assisted by the Veolia Environnement Foundation, expect to supply the population with quality water at an affordable price: no more than F CFA 600 per cubic meter (less than one euro). If the experience proves positive with regard to these two criteria, it can then be reproduced in other villages faced with the same problems.