The EAR Technology

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The EAR Technology developed by the Sainte Lizaigne company of the CLAIRE Group is one of the 5 technologies presented at the innovation workshop organized in July 2017 in Accra. This is an initiative of the Isle Utilities organization. This workshop took place as a side event of the sessions of the 77th Scientific and Technical Council of AfWA held from July 17 to 21, 2017 in the Ghanaian capital.

The Isle Utilities organization presented 5 technologies to the thirty or so representatives of water utilities, including the “Ear” active connection, an acoustic listening device developed by Sainte-Lizaigne. This is part of the process of setting up a technological innovation platform for the benefit of water utilities in sub-Saharan Africa. Funded by the International Finance Corporation and The Global Innovation Fund GIF, this technology platform project is implemented in partnership with the African Water Association.

Marc Cormery, Export Manager of the Sainte-Lizaigne company, presented the EAR solution at this workshop. Sainte-Lizaigne’s EAR solution (expertise in the field of drinking water connections), developed in partnership with SebaKMT (expertise in the field of leak detection), is a permanent monitoring system for leak detection on HDPE/PVC networks (mainly present in Africa), but also for pipes of any diameter and material.

This is an active connection that is an integral part of the network heritage and, in addition to its opening/closing function, ensures permanent monitoring of the network by listening. The connections can thus be used as network listening points and form a strategic network.

Installed as a fixed prelocator on the network, the EAR solution allows precise listening because the hydrophone sensor is positioned in the water column and acquires the sounds directly: the listening is of very good quality, whatever the nature of the pipe and its diameter, and the surrounding noise minimized. Data collection is carried out by two methods: patrol mode or network. The correlation will then specify the exact location of the leak. As a permanent monitoring device, the EAR connection detects a leak at an early stage, improves response time and optimizes operating costs (reduced on-call time).

The EAR solution has already proven its worth. For example, it has made it possible to reduce water losses by 193,000 m3 in one year in a community of more than 110,000 subscribers (daily water consumption of 50,000 m3, 1,500 km of pipes) and a potential yield gain of 12 points.

The EAR system consists of:

– An intake valve with an integrated hydrophone sensor;

– A radio transmitter (located under the key-operated mouth or transferred to the counting station in a bollard or manhole) to record data, diagnose the problem;

– connectivity and accessories for integration. It can be installed on new or existing networks.

Sainte-Lizaigne is the specialist in solutions for connection to the metering environment for drinking water networks and offers systems for network control. The company employs 115 people and had a turnover of more than 28M€ in 2016. It designs, manufactures and sells water systems in France and abroad for water network operations. Sainte-Lizaigne’s customers include the main water distribution groups (Veolia, SAUR, Suez-Lyonnaise des Eaux, etc.), networks of distributors and wholesaler partners and local authorities. www.sainte-lizaigne.com

 

La Technologie EAR

La Technologie EAR développée par l’entreprise Sainte Lizaigne du Groupe CLAIRE fait partie des 5 technologie présentées à l’occasion de l’atelier d’innovation organisé en juillet 2017 à Accra. Il s’agit d’une initiative de l’organisation Isle Utilities. Cet atelier s’est déroulé en marges des Travaux du 77ème Conseil scientifique et Technique de l’AAE tenu du 17 au 21 juillet 2017 à dans la capitale ghanéenne.

La structure Isle Utilities a présenté 5 technologies à la trentaine de représentants des sociétés d’eau parmi lesquelles le branchement actif « Ear » un dispositif d’écoute acoustique développé par la société Sainte-Lizaigne. Ceci dans le cadre du processus de mise en place d’une plateforme d’innovation technologique au profit des sociétés d’eau d’Afrique Subsaharienne. Financé par la Société Financière Internationale et ‘’The Global Innovation Fund GIF’’, ce projet de plateforme technologique est mis en œuvre en partenariat avec l’Association Africaine de l’Eau.

C’est donc à l’occasion de cet atelier que Marc Cormery, Responsable Export de la structure ‘Sainte-Lizaigne’ a présenté la solution ‘’EAR’’.

La solution EAR de Sainte-Lizaigne (expertise dans le domaine du branchement d’eau potable), développée en partenariat avec SebaKMT (expertise dans le domaine de la recherche de fuite), est un système d’écoute permanent pour la détection de fuites sur les réseaux en PEHD/PVC (réseaux majoritairement présents en Afrique), mais aussi pour les conduites de tout diamètre et tout matériau. Il s’agit d’un branchement actif faisant partie intégrante du patrimoine réseau qui permet, en plus de sa fonction d’ouverture/fermeture, d’assurer une surveillance permanente du réseau par l’écoute. Les branchements peuvent ainsi être utilisés comme points d’écoute du réseau et former un maillage stratégique.

Installée en fixe en tant que prélocalisateur sur le réseau, la solution EAR permet une écoute précise car le capteur hydrophone est positionné dans la colonne d’eau et acquiert directement les bruits : l’écoute est de très bonne qualité, quels que soient la nature de la canalisation et son diamètre, et les bruits environnants minimisés. La collecte des données se réalise par deux méthodes : mode patrouille ou network. La corrélation précisera ensuite l’endroit exact de la fuite.

En tant que dispositif de surveillance permanente, le branchement EAR détecte de façon précoce une fuite, permet de gagner en réactivité d’intervention et d’optimiser les coûts d’exploitation (durée d’astreinte réduite).

La solution EAR a déjà fait ses preuves. Elle a permis par exemple une réduction de 193 000 m3 des pertes d’eau en 1 an dans une communauté d’agglomération de plus de 110 000 abonnés (consommation d’eau journalière de 50 000 m3, 1 500 km de canalisations) et un gain potentiel de rendement de 12 points.

Le système EAR se compose :

– d’un robinet de prise en charge intégrant un capteur hydrophone

– d’un émetteur radio (positionné sous la bouche à clé ou reporté au poste de comptage dans une borne ou un regard) permettant l’enregistrement des données, le diagnostic

– de la connectivité et des accessoires permettant l’intégration Il peut être installé sur les réseaux neufs ou existants.

Sainte-Lizaigne est le spécialiste des solutions du branchement à l’environnement de comptage pour les réseaux d’eau potable et propose des systèmes pour le pilotage de réseau. La société emploie 115 personnes et a réalisé un chiffre d’affaires de plus de 28M€ en 2016. Elle conçoit, fabrique en France et commercialise en France et à l’international pour les exploitations des réseaux d’eau. Sainte-Lizaigne compte parmi ses clients les principaux groupes de distribution d’eau (Veolia, SAUR, Suez-Lyonnaise des Eaux…), des réseaux de distributeurs et grossistes partenaires et les collectivités locales. www.sainte-lizaigne.com

Renforcement des partenariats dans le domaine de l’eau en Afrique lusophone

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Le Partenariat portugais pour l’eau (PWP) a promu la plate-forme internationale « Construire des ponts et des partenariats entre les pays lusophones » (P3LP est son abréviation en portugais). La portée de cette plateforme institutionnelle et commerciale lusophone couvre cinq pays africains de langue portugaise, à savoir l’Angola, le Cap-Vert, la Guinée-Bissau, le Mozambique et São Tomé e Principe. Cette plateforme P3LP se focalise sur le partage d’expériences et de connaissances sur les questions relatives à l’eau entre les sociétés publiques et privées, afin de promouvoir des partenariats entre les agences gouvernementales, les compagnies d’eau et les sociétés d’eau dans le cadre des objectifs du développement durable de l’ONU. Un exemple d’une initiative de base entreprise depuis le début du projet en 2016 a été l’organisation d’une série de visites techniques au Portugal par des délégations de décideurs clés et de gestionnaires du secteur de l’eau de ces cinq pays africains. D’une durée approximative d’une semaine, ces initiatives incluent des visites techniques dans différents endroits du Portugal et de multiples occasions de rencontrer et d’interagir directement avec des représentants du gouvernement portugais, du secteur privé et des institutions de recherche, stimulant ainsi de futurs partenariats institutionnels, commerciaux et techniques. Jusqu’ à présent, les réactions des missions de la Guinée-Bissau, de São Tomé e Príncipe, du Cap-Vert et de l’Angola ont été extrêmement positives, tant de la part des délégués invités que des participants portugais à de multiples initiatives telles que des séminaires publics, des ateliers thématiques, des tables rondes d’affaires, des visites techniques et des contacts institutionnels. Tout au long du projet, les multiples séminaires et sessions publiques qui ont été organisés ont mobilisé plusieurs centaines de participants, ce qui a permis une large diffusion des résultats du projet et le renforcement des liens de mise en réseau au sein de la communauté professionnelle lusophone du secteur de l’eau. Certaines des études spécialisées entreprises dans le cadre du projet incluent un examen détaillé des opportunités offertes par le Fonds européen de développement dans le secteur de l’eau en Afrique (EuropeAid), ainsi qu’un diagnostic détaillé des lacunes de capacité et des priorités d’investissement dans les différents services d’eau opérant dans ces pays. Selon Mme Alexandra Serra, Présidente du Partenariat Portugais de l’Eau, « P3LP est une initiative qui renforcera également l’intégration du secteur portugais de l’eau, en développant des mécanismes pour faciliter le jumelage entre des sociétés de ces pays et la communauté portugaise de professionnels de l’eau ». Faisant suite à la dernière mission technique effectuée au Portugal par une délégation angolaise en juin dernier, les prochaines étapes de la feuille de route de P3LP incluent le Symposium Lusophone sur les ressources en eau à Porto (septembre prochain) et une visite similaire d’une délégation mozambicaine en novembre.

Strengthening Water Partnerships across the Lusophone Africa

The Portuguese Water Partnership (PWP) has been promoting the international platform “Building Bridges and Partnerships across Portuguese-Speaking Countries” (P3LP is its acronym in Portuguese). The scope of this lusophone institutional and business platform covers five African Portuguese-speaking countries, i.e. Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé e Principe. This P3LP platform focuses on the sharing of experiences and knowledge on water issues between public and private entities, in order to promote partnerships between government agencies, water utilities and enterprises under the framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. An example of a core initiative undertaken since the project started in 2016 has been the organization of a series of technical visits to Portugal by delegations of key decision makers and water sector managers from these five African countries. With the typical duration of one week, these initiatives comprise technical visits to different locations in Portugal, and multiple opportunities to meet and interact directly with representatives from the Portuguese government, private sector and research institutions, thereby stimulating future institutional, commercial and technical partnerships. So far, the feedback from missions from Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé e Príncipe, Cabo Verde and Angola has been overwhelmingly positive, both from the invited delegates and from the Portuguese participants in multiple initiatives such as public seminars, thematic workshops, business round tables, technical visits and institutional contacts. Throughout the project, the multiple seminars and public sessions that have been organized have engaged several hundred participants, resulting in a broad dissemination of project outputs and the reinforcement of the networking links within the Portuguese-speaking water sector professional community. Some of the specialized studies undertaken by the project comprise a detailed examination of the opportunities provided by the European Development Fund in the water sector in Africa (EuropeAid), and a detailed diagnosis of capacitation gaps and investment priorities in the several water utilities operating in these countries.  According to Ms. Alexandra Serra, President of the Portuguese Water Partnership, “P3LP is an initiative that will equally strengthen the internationalization of the Portuguese water sector, by developing mechanisms to facilitate the business matching between these countries and the Portuguese professional water community.” Following up on the latest technical mission to Portugal by a delegation from Angola, which took place this June, next steps on P3LP’s roadmap include the Lusophone Water Resource Symposium in Oporto (next September) and a similar visit by a Mozambican delegation in November.

Waste Water Box

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Les ingénieurs de Cohin Environnement ont développé une station d’épuration compacte et mobile assemblée dans un container maritime, la Waste Water Box, destinée au traitement des eaux usées urbaines et industrielles.

Le procédé 100% biologique, breveté par Cohin Environnement, s’effectue dans un seul et même bassin de façon cyclique ce qui réduit considérablement l’emprise au sol de la station d’épuration. La Waste Water Box nécessite 80% de béton en moins qu’une solution classique et permet de réduire fortement les réseaux enterrés.

Le rejet de l’eau traitée se fait quant à lui par intermittence par le biais du siphon breveté. Sa capacité de traitement est comprise entre 100 et 2000 EH et plus sur demande.

Cohin Environnement souhaite développer la Waste Water Box dans le but d’assurer une réelle voie d’industrialisation qui peut s’intégrer favorablement dans une croissance économique et sociale en y associant la protection de l’environnement.

Notre projet améliorera sur le plan sociétal la qualité de la Vie en permettant notamment un confort sanitaire accru dans le milieu rural ainsi que les zones isolées.

Nous garantissons les performances suivantes en sortie de traitement : DBO5 < 25 mg/L DCO < 90 mg/L MES < 30 mg/L AZOTE < 30 mg/L

 

De plus les avantages du système de la Waste Water Box sont :

– Peut être fabriqué, monté et géré localement avec des délais courts – Apporte un confort sanitaire à des zones isolées – Possède un suivi de maintenance à distance pour une gestion globale ; – Aucun réactif chimique n’est nécéssaire pour le traitement des eaux usées – Réduit l’empreinte environnementale face aux solutions béton – Permet la réduction de l’impact sur le milieu naturel (eutrophisation,…) – Permet la réduction des émissions de GES par la standardisation du transport.

Cohin Environnement’s engineers have developed a compact and mobile wastewater treatment plant assembled in a maritime container, the Waste Water Box, for urban and industrial wastewater treatment.

This 100% biological process, patented by Cohin Environnement, is carried out in a single and same basin in a cyclic way, which considerably reduces the footprint of the treatment plant. The Waste Water Box requires 80% less concrete than a conventional solution and greatly reduces underground networks.

The treated water is discharged intermittently through the patented siphon. Its processing capacity is between 100 and 2000 EH and more on request.

Cohin Environnement wishes to develop the Waste Water Box with a view to ensuring a real industrialization path that can be successfully integrated into economic and social growth by associating environmental protection.

Our project will improve the societal quality of life by providing improved sanitary comfort in rural and remote areas. We guarantee the following post-processing performance: DBO5 < 25 mg/L DCO < 90 mg/L MES < 30 mg/L AZOTE < 30 mg/L

The Additional advantages of the Waste Water Box system are as follows:

– Can be manufactured, assembled and locally managed in a very short time; – Provides sanitary comfort in isolated areas; – Has remote maintenance monitoring capability for global management; – No chemical reagents are required for wastewater treatment; – Reduces the environmental footprint of concrete solutions; – Allows the reduction of the impact on the natural environment (eutrophication, …); -Allows the reduction of GHG emissions by standardizing transport.

La protection des sources d’eau améliore la qualité et la quantité de l’eau dans les zones rurales du Kenya

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Environ 95 pour cent des habitants du village de Silula, dans l’ouest du Kenya, tirent leur eau potable des sources et des rivières, mais la majorité de ces sources ne sont pas protégées contre la pollution. L’eau s’écoule généralement de l’œil de la source et est recueillie à des mètres de distance, ce qui l’expose à la contamination fécale, aux activités domestiques comme le lavage des vêtements et des ustensiles et au ruissellement agricole.

En novembre 2016, les membres de la communauté ont pris part à une initiative soutenue par l’USAID pour promouvoir la conservation des principales sources d’eau dans le comté de Siaya en protégeant et en renforçant les associations d’usagers des ressources en eau (WRUAs). Les WRUAS sont des associations bénévoles composées d’usagers de l’eau et de propriétaires riverains intéressés par la bonne gestion de leurs ressources en eau.

Des membres enthousiastes de la communauté ont fourni des poteaux de clôture, des briques et du béton pour aménager l’admission de sources d’eau et de la main-d’œuvre non qualifiée pour nettoyer et améliorer le chemin d’accès aux sources d’eau. Les bienfaits de la protection et de la conservation des sources ont été immédiatement ressentis. La qualité bactériologique de l’eau a été améliorée par les barrières physiques du bassin versant de la source construite, qui dirigent l’eau directement depuis l’œil de la source. La qualité physique, y compris la turbidité, est également contrôlée de la même façon vu qu’aucun sédiment ne peut traverser le tuyau de sortie. Le débit a été augmenté en raison de l’accroissement de la pression d’eau derrière le mur du bassin versant. « Les longues files d’attente à la source d’eau sont inouïes. Mes jerrycans de 20 litres se remplissent en seulement deux minutes! De plus, ma famille de quatre personnes utilise maintenant cinq jerrycans par jour alors que nous faisions la queue depuis si longtemps pour faire le plein », dit Naima Mohammed, 23 ans. Beaucoup de choses ont changé depuis ses premiers voyages de plus de 90 minutes tous les deux jours pour aller chercher de l’eau, même si la source n’était qu’à 300 mètres de chez elle. En plus de l’amélioration de la qualité et de la quantité de l’eau disponible pour plus de 700 membres de la communauté, la protection de la source Silula a encouragé les membres de la communauté à s’inscrire comme membres volontaires du WRUA, en s’engageant à mener un large éventail d’activités qui contribuent à une meilleure gestion des bassins versants, notamment éviter les activités sur les zones riveraines délimitées, mener des activités de conservation des sols et de l’eau, planter des arbres et contrôler la pollution de l’eau.

Le projet 2015-2020 de l’USAID Kenya Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (KIWASH) travaille avec les communautés locales, les bureaux de l’eau des comtés et les décideurs pour améliorer la représentation des communautés dans les WRUAs dans les sous-bassins versants afin d’accroître la sensibilisation sur la conservation intégrée des bassins versants et la gestion des ressources en eau. Le projet vise également à renforcer la capacité des gouvernements et des institutions des comtés à accroître la protection des sources d’approvisionnement en eau et à améliorer l’accès à l’eau.

Approximately 95 percent of residents in Silula Village, in western Kenya obtain their drinking water from springs and rivers, yet the majority of these sources are unprotected from pollution. Water typically flowed from the spring eye to be collected meters away, exposing it to fecal contamination, domestic activities such as washing of clothes and utensils, and agricultural runoff.

In November 2016, community members took part in a USAID-supported initiative to promote conservation of key water sources in Siaya County by protecting and strengthening of Water Resources User Associations (WRUAs). WRUAs are voluntary membership associations made up of water users and riparian owners interested in proper management of their water resources.

Enthusiastic community members contributed fencing posts, bricks and hardcore to secure the spring intake and unskilled labor to clear and improve the access path to the spring. The benefits of protecting and conserving the spring were experienced immediately. The bacteriological quality of water was improved by the physical barriers of the constructed spring catchment, which target water directly to the spring eye. The physical quality, including turbidity, is also controlled in the same way because no sediments can make their way through the outlet pipe. The flow rate was increased due to a build-up in water pressure behind the spring catchment wall. “Long queues at the spring are unheard of now. My 20 liter jerry cans fill up within just two minutes! Moreover, my family of four now uses five jerry cans per day up from the two we used to queue for so long to fill up,” Naima Mohammed, 23, says. Much has changed since her original trips of over 90 minutes every other day to collect water even though the spring was only 300 meters from her home. In addition to improving the quality and quantity of water available to over 700 community members, the protection of the Silula Spring encouraged community members to register as voluntary members of the WRUA, making commitments to carry out a wide range of activities that contribute towards better watershed management such as avoiding activities on demarcated riparian areas, carrying out soil and water conservation activities, planting trees, and controlling water pollution.

The 2015-2020 USAID Kenya Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (KIWASH) Project works with local communities, county water offices and decision-makers to improve community representation in WRUAs within sub-catchments to increase sensitization on integrated watershed conservation and water resources management. The project also aims to build the capacity of county governments and institutions to expand source water protection and improve water access

shit flow diagram

SFD Promotion Initiative Updates

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The University of Leeds supported a workshop in Nairobi, Kenya on May 5, 2017 where the new SFD (Shit Flow Diagram) graphic generator was used in an interactive workshop with 30 people from Nairobi City Water, the county government, civil society and the private sector. A first draft of an SFD graphic was produced for the city using the new generator. There will now be a three month consultation period, with two consultants provided by the African Population and Health Research Council (with funding from BMGF) and Sanergy to support the preparation of a full SFD including a Service Delivery Assessment. The University of Leeds will continue to support this process.

In May and June Oscar Veses was in Babati, Tanzania to help prepare an SFD as part of a DFID SHARE research activity looking at sustainable urban sanitation, in partnership with WaterAid. He then traveled to Kafue, Zambia to support their preparation of an SFD as a tool to explore equity and effective services. This will be used as a part of a REACH research initiative funded by the DFID REACH project in partnership with LSHTM.

In June, the University of Leeds supported a series of capacity building workshops in Ethiopia in partnership with WaterAid and Yorkshire Water. These workshops with secondary towns reviewed SFD reports and developed action plans for follow up improvements in service delivery. This process culminated in a national workshop in Addis Ababa. The University of Leeds is coordinating with Christ Heymans at the World Bank to see if this can contribute to the ongoing World Bank support to cities.

Resources and Tools

The first set of FAQs has been successfully uploaded to the SFD portal and can be found HERE. The SFD PI has developed a review procedure to ensure the transparency and credibility of SFD Reports. The review evaluates the credibility of the sources used to develop the report. Now authors can have their SFD Reports reviewed as a prerequisite to publish on the SFD web portal. Find the document in the SFD toolbox.

Upcoming

  • Version 2.0 of the SFD Graphic generator is now complete and will be made available online in the coming weeks.
  • 5 new SFD reports will be published on the website soon.
  • SFD PI has improved and updated the SFD manual. The new version is close to finalization and will soon be available on the SFD portal.

You can also follow our latest news on Twitter @SFD_PI
If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at sfd@susana.org

Originally posted on the SuSanA Forum
nairobi dam

Drought-stricken Nairobi looks to polluted dam

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As residents of Nairobi’s largest slum look for new sources of water amid lingering drought, they have seized on an unlikely one: an old 88-acre water reservoir full of sewage and trash, draped in water hyacinth.

The Nairobi dam has been the capital’s spare water reservoir in times of drought since the 1950s. However not a drop of it is usable now, as a result of heavy pollution.

“The dam is situated on the edges of Kibera, yet we cannot even use it for our car wash businesses,” said Mathew Mbuvi, 30, who lives in the sprawling Nairobi slum.

But residents of Kibera, backed by a Kenyan business firm, are now trying to clean the fetid dam to make its water available for businesses to use.

Mbuvi, who has collected rubbish in Kibera for four years, is one of about 300 young people in the slum who have been offered contracts to help clean up the dam. They have begun collecting plastics and paper around the dam, ready to sell to a new recycling plant which is expected to open in August.

Ultimately, the aim of the recycling project will be to clean the dam’s water enough so it can be used by the slum’s laundries, public toilets, car washes and other businesses. “The recycled water can also be used in the city’s growing industrial sector and reduce the use of clean water in factories,” said John Paul Malawi, the Nairobi County environmental officer.

Why Now?

Kenya’s drought has left at least 2.6 million people in need of food aid across the country, and caused a drop in water volumes in reservoirs serving the capital, Nairobi. The city needs about 740,000 cubic meters of water a day, which is normally met by the Ndakaini reservoir in central Kenya. However, now only 462,000 cubic meters of water are being pumped from the reservoir each day, according to the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC).

Businesses have been forced to hire private companies to supply them with supplemental water, and some have sunk boreholes on their property in an effort to find underground water supplies. (Learn more about urban groundwater use in our recent post)

In the Kibera slum, and in other poor neighborhoods across Nairobi, many people lack public water supplies and rely on private sellers. Drought has pushed up the price of water and a 20 liter drum now costs 50 Kenyan shillings (about 50 cents), compared with 10 Kenyan shillings (10 cents) last year.

The Nairobi dam, if improved, could supply some 98,000 cubic meters of the city’s demand, according to Leah Tsuma, the chief executive officer for the Agency for Science and Technology Information Communication (ASTICOM), the Kenyan company building the recycling plant in Kibera.

Hope for Rehabilitation

Mohamed Ahmed, who has lived 67 years in Kibera, remembers catching fish from the dam as a child in the 1950s, as well as washing his clothes and bathing in it. During weekends, the dam used to be a popular recreation spot where people went to unwind, he said. “Life was good. We even used water from the dam for cooking and drinking,” he added. However, in the late 1990s the dam was abandoned because of worsening pollution.

Auyb Shaka, the assistant director of the Kenya Meteorological Department, said he believes the dam can be rehabilitated, as the Nairobi River was about a decade ago.

But it is the jobs – and other potential social and economic benefits of cleaning up the Nairobi dam – that have attracted supporters to the project. As part of the cleanup effort, youth groups in Kibera, hired by the recycling company, also will remove the water hyacinth choking the dam and process it into products such as mats and baskets, Tsuma said.

Malawi, the Nairobi County environmental officer, said cleaning the Nairobi dam will improve the environment in Kibera and help reduce the threat of cholera and other waterborne diseases. However, the recycled water will not be fit for human consumption or to irrigate fruit and vegetable plots in the city. “It may have harmful substances like lead which are not easy to remove because of accumulation over the years,” Malawi added.

Originally posted by Thomson Reuters Foundation
Reporting by Kagondu Njagi, Editing by Alex Whiting and Laurie Goering

Capacity building in Somaliland’s water sector

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Water is scarce resource in Somaliland and it is a drought prone country. ​The rainy seasons are “Gu” (April-June) and “Deyr” (September-​October). The average precipitation is nearly 300mm; but due to El Nino and climate change there have been three years of below average rainfall. ​There have already been confirmed reports of conflicts over grazing land and water scarcity among pastoral communities. The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) and its ​partner Somalia ​Water & Land ​Information ​Management (​SWALIM) ​predict that the ​country will ​experience near ​or below normal ​Deyr rainfall. ​The prediction ​will push many ​pastoral and ​agro-pastoral ​communities ​into the ​category of ​needing urgent ​humanitarian ​assistance, ​especially ​Water, Hygiene ​& Sanitation (​WASH).​

Somaliland has ​missed the ​Millennium ​Development ​Goals (MDGs) targets for water ​and sanitation, ​according to ​the latest KAP ​survey ​commissioned by ​UNICEF in late ​2015. The UNICEF ​and WHO JMP ​report of 2012 indicated that ​only 29 percent of ​Somalia’s ​population has ​access to ​improved source ​of water and 23 percent has access to ​sanitation ​facilities. ​

Somaliland’s Actions

On June 14, 2017, MoWR facilitated a ​regional ​utilities ​workshop ​and identified ​the need to ​have more ​robust ​management in ​regional ​utilities’​ management. Three of four utilities reported that Non-Revenue Water is about 40-50 percent of production.​

from the left: Suhuir Hussein, Hassan Ali, and Faisal Hashi

For the ​first time, ​the Somaliland Ministry of ​Water Resources ​(MoWR) ​nominated two ​employees (shown in the photo) to ​acquire the ​modern ​management ​techniques for utilities at a workshop on June 18-30, 2017 organized by the University of Loughborough, UK for East African water utilities. The Water, Engineering & Development Center (WEDC) courses were hosted by the National Water & Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in Kampala, Uganda. The two officials’ attendance was sponsored by the African Development Bank (AfDB) grant “Water Infrastructure Development for Resilience Program in Somaliland (WIDR),” the first AfDB financial grant to the water sector in Somaliland.

​WEDC’s distance learning courses, such as the one attended by MoWR employees, add to the solution for water utilities’ management challenges. ​Hopefully, ​the Somaliland ​government together with ​the private ​sector will ​meet and exceed ​the Sustainable ​Development ​Goals (SDGs) so ​that the ​population of ​Somaliland can ​enjoy drinking ​clean water. ​Through the WIDR program, the ​African Water ​Facility and the ​Somaliland ​government ​plan to ​manage the ​water ​stress ​situation by setting up ​a long-term ​water resources ​development ​plan. ​ NIRAS and We Consult were commissioned to undertake the technical studies to determine bankable projects for the long-term water sector development. ​ NIRAS has completed phase one of the assignment and the second phase is due in October 2017.​

Care International is the implementing agency of the program and MoWR is the custodian and beneficiary of the WIDR program.

Originally written by: Faisal Hashi, Hargeisa, Somaliland

Accra’s New Liquid Waste Management

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Sewerage Systems Ghana Limited (SSGL) is an engineering, construction and procurement specialist that aims to provide the Accra metropolis with decent and cost-effective disposal of effluent and fecal sludge while maintaining financial sustainability. SSGL offers ecological sanitation solutions to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and has entered into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development.

SSGL wants to ensure that Accra’s fecal sludge management can be independent of donors’ financial support and be financially sustainable if potential revenue from households, agricultural users and the government is realized. They also hope to increase the gross margin of the company through income from by-products generated during the treatment process, such as compost and electricity.

The New Lavender Hill

The discharge of raw sewage into the Atlantic Ocean at Korle Gonno, which has occurred for almost 110 years, now may end with the commissioning of the New Lavender Hill Plant. The 200 vehicles that used to discharge into the ocean daily can now discharge 24 hours a day at the New Lavender Hill.

The plant has a design capacity to handle the 2000 cubic meters, the amount typically generated by these 200 cesspit emptiers a day. The plant has a maximum capacity of 2400 cubic meters. Construction was completed in November 2016. The plant is anticipated to generate 7000 cubic meters of biogas, producing 400 to 500 kW of electricity. Biosolids from the process will be dried for further composting as organic manure.

Kotoku Septage Treatment Plant

Construction of the Kotoku Septage Treatment Plant began in 2012 at the the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant. This plant is a smaller version of the Lavender Hill Plant and will handle liquid waste from the Northern parts of the Greater Accra Region. The plant is anticipated to treat 1500 cubic meters of liquid waste from about 90 cesspit trucks daily. This is the waste equivalent of 935,000 persons per day.

Tour of the Mudor Faecal Treatment Plant

Mudor Faecal Treatment Plant

Accra’s Central Business District and portions of Labone and Osu and ministries are served by a sewer network system. In the early 2000s, the Mudor Waste Water Treatment Plant was constructed to treat this waste but became dysfunctional a few years after commissioning. When the plant was dysfunctional, untreated waste was pumped out to sea via an outfall pipe. SSGL and their Chinese contractors have rehabilitated the plant and expanded the capacity of the plant to 18,000 cubic meters per day. This expansion will account for expanded sewer network from the Accra sewerage improvement project. The maximum capacity is now 21,000 cubic meters per day. In population equivalents, the plant handles the waste of 105,000 persons per day.

Impacts

These improvements to treatment of fecal sludge and effluent in Accra will directly impact the endemic annual challenges of water-borne diseases faced by the population. The agricultural sector will also be supported through the conversion of waste into organic and natural substitutes for traditional chemical fertilizers.

Senegal’s upcoming construction of desalination plant

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Concern:

In Senegal, particularly in Dakar, drinking water needs will only increase in the coming years. The current production capacity is 421,000 cubic meters per day, which is insufficient to provide for estimated future requirements.  The region will require in 2025, 659,000 cubic meters per day and 963,000 cubic meters per day in 2035.

The drinking water supply system for the Dakar region has a high dependence on Lake Guiers and groundwater. Lake Guiers supplies 45 percent of the raw water and 55 percent is from groundwater. However Lake Guiers is located 250 km from Dakar, which increases the costs of investment, treatment, transportation and exploitation. There is a need to build new infrastructure to strengthen the drinking water production in this area.

Solution:

So the State, through the National Water Company of Senegal (SONES) and with the input of Japan, has approved the construction of a seawater desalination plant. This treatment plant will have a production capacity of 50,000-100,000 cubic meters per day. Plant construction will begin in January 2018 near the famous lighthouse of Mamelles. In addition to the desalination plant construction, the project also includes the replacement of 460 km of distribution pipes inherited from colonization in Dakar.

The estimated total cost of this project is 137 billion FCFA, of which 56 million FCFA is for the desalination plant infrastructure, 56 million FCFA is for the replacement of old pipes in the Dakar distribution network, and the remainder is for project management services, and financial and physical contingencies. JICA, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, is funding the project on very good concessional terms. For example, the interest rate is less than 0.7 percent for 30 years. The implementation of the desalination plant, like all other investments, will not impact the price of water for consumers.

The project launched in 2015. After a two year implementation period beginning in 2019, the plant is expected to be commissioned in 2021.

ferrocement

2017 Quarter 1 Progress of SSD Project

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Sanitation Service Delivery (SSD) aims to increase the use of sanitation and safe disposal of fecal waste by influencing the region’s sector to create a more effective, efficient and inclusive market for the urban poor in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana.

Market Constraints

An urban sanitation market landscape analysis was completed in the three countries. This analysis identified the causes of market failures and intervention areas that would deliver the greatest impacts. During this analysis, a team assessed existing sanitation products and services, visited markets, and conducted interviews with producers, sales staff, and consumers. This was essential to gaining an understanding of market actors’ roles, expectations, incentives, behaviors, and financing options, and chokepoints in the supply chain. The following market constraints were identified in all three countries:

  • Sanitation products perceived as expensive by low-income consumers;
  • Lack of local manufacturing and installation capacity;
  • Lack of affordable options for fecal sludge collection and storage;
  • Mistrust between consumers and service providers, and lack of standards to influence performance;
  • Low capacity of vacuum truck operators (VTOs) to completely empty tanks;
  • Lack of finance for new VTO equipment; and,
  • VTOs not earning sufficient margins.

Prototyping Improvements

In order to address these key market failures and create a more efficient, inclusive sanitation market for the urban poor, product and service delivery improvements were prototyped in Year 2. Prototypes included prefabricated septic tanks in Cote d’Ivoire; improved pit latrines in Benin; landlord finance models in Cote d’Ivoire and Benin; and interactive call centers to help optimize the work of VTOs. The team was also involved with the development of finance mechanisms to help business start-ups for entrepreneurs building toilets; the innovation of new sanitation technologies and services; and actionable learning to influence policy and practice at scale. The benefits of strengthening the enabling environment through better collaboration with the private sector and the development of regulatory frameworks has been advocated to municipal and national governments throughout the project.

Private Sector Scale-up

After testing these prototypes and service models, the team is now working with private sector entities, such as concrete manufactures and VTOs, to develop scale-up strategies for the prefabricated septic tanks in Cote d’Ivoire and offset pit latrines with SaTo pans in Benin. In Cote d’Ivoire and Benin, a call center is also being developed to improve the quality and reduce the cost of mechanized septic tank emptying. To accelerate toilet sales in Ghana, sales agents and artisans are being trained and community marketing events are being held. Ghanaian private sector entities are also helping the team introduce the pre-fabricated septic tanks that will be scaled-up in Cote d’Ivoire. In Kumasi, Ghana, the Clean Team is testing a mobile money model to reduce operations cost and increase profitability with support from SSD.

Recent Program Highlights

  • Installation of first on-site pilot septic tank in Yopougon, Cote d’Ivoire using ferro-cement. Ferro-cement is a system of reinforced mortar applied over a layer of metal mesh attached to a grid of 6mm rebar. This technique creates a strong and light structure.
  • GIS mapping of the latrine toilet and septic tank supply chains in the project districts of Cote d’Ivoire and Benin. This mapping facilitates an understanding of service provider distribution, which can be used to improve service coverage. When a gap is identified, such as if a concrete ring manufacturer is not located nearby, a local business is identified to fill the gap to minimize transportation costs.
  • Implementation of pit latrines pilot phase using the SaTo pan as a user interface in 25 households in Abomey-Calavi, Benin.
  • During the workshops with Ghanaian WASH sector stakeholders, it was recommended that more builders, craftsmen, and entrepreneurs should be recruited and trained. Addressing the insufficient number of skilled artisans in the market would improve program implementation.

SSD is a five-year, $15.8 million USAID/West African regional urban sanitation project launched in October 2014. SSD is implemented by Population Services International in collaboration with PATH and Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor. Check out their recent progress on their Facebook page.