Safe Water – Thiès, Senegal

Project Description

The rural areas of the Western part of Senegal are characterized by poor access to clean drinking water.  Many of the water sources used (boreholes, wells etc.) suffer micro-biological contamination and are polluted by salt

This micro-scale project involves the installation of two solar powered water supply and purification systems in the villages of Ndiass and Toucouleur and two solar powered water purification systems on pre-existing boreholes in the villages of Louckouk Ndiaye and Dalakh 2.  Each system can supply over 17,000 per day on average

The water purification systems have a proportional chlorine doser pump which is powered by the solar panels.  A solar pump is installed in each of the boreholes and the extracted water is transferred into elevated tanks and then piped into drinking water “fountains”

The construction of the first system started in March 2018 and all systems were operational by the end of April 2018

3,269 people live within the project’s area and now have access to safe water

Sustainability Beyond Carbon

The project helps address 4 Sustainable Development Goals (3, 6, 12 and 13)

Safe drinking water is provided to the communities reducing local use of boiling for water purification.  As the fuel sources used to boil water are sourced unsustainably from surrounding forests, reducing the need to boil water reduces the amount of biomass removed from the forests helping maintain carbon stocks in the environment.  The reduction in fuel use helps to maintain biodiversity in forested areas

Having access to safe and clean drinking water helps:

• improve the hygiene, social, economic and environmental issues related to the water cycle in rural areas
• reduce indoor air pollution from boiling water
• avoid many health problems linked to the use of unsafe drinking water like diarrhoea, intestinal infections and parasites

The project helps raise awareness among the local population about hygiene and a campaign on water, sanitation and health related issues is undertaken once a year