Burkina Faso: 3 solar-powered drinking water supply networks to bring drinking water to 21,000 in the Mouhoun province

Picture caption: Burkinabè standpipe caretaker carrying out the service of drinking water from a water point supplied by a water supply network, managed by VERGNET BURKINA.

Power from a solar park, chlorination systems, two 100 m3 water towers and one of 50 m3, 20 km of pipework and civil engineering…

VERGNET BURKINA (subsidiary of VERGNET HYDRO, Ouagadougou) is to supply and fit all components of three drinking water supply networks serving the 21,000 residents of Fakouna, Karo and Lah in the Mouhoun province of Burkina Faso. “Power from a solar park, chlorination systems, two 100 m3 water towers and one of 50 m3, 20 km of pipework and civil engineering – the National Office for Water and Sanitation (ONEA) is again turning to us for a wide selection of our skills and know-how,” confirms a delighted Bertrand BUREAU, Managing Director of VERGNET BURKINA.

For each of these supply networks, groundwater is pumped using power from a dedicated photovoltaic solar park. However, to ensure service continuity for the system come rain or shine, these sites are also fitted with a second pump connected to the SONABEL power grid or to a generator. “This is a necessary precaution. The people living in the area have high expectations, with a requirement of 5-20 m³ per hour at each site,” he continues.

The three supply networks will be operational by December 2022

With financial backing from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) via the KREDITANSTALT FÜR WIEDERAUFBAU (KfW) bank, this project is part of the Water Supply and Sanitation Programme for small and medium-sized towns located in the south-west region and neighbouring regions in Burkina Faso’s Mouhoun river basin. “The three supply networks will be operational by December 2022,” adds VERGNET BURKINA’s MD.