Drinking water for several villages and hamlets of the Saint-Louis region

« This feasibility study, the meetings, interviews with the various partners, and the information I obtained, satisfy me about the seriousness of this project. I have been participating with Velioa Eau for 10 years in the activity and the projects of the OMCI. This project corresponds to the needs of the population and the solution adopted is the best, both technically and economically. Amalgamation of the resources makes it realistic and coherent. »

Jean Bombardieri

The Office Municipal de Coopération Internationale (OMCI) of Commercy, has been working since 1990 in decentralised cooperation with the commune of Ronkh in Sénégal on a comprehensive programme that includes access to drinking water, public hygiene, health, education, training and even economics.
Since then, Veolia Eau has accompanied the association in setting up the "water" activities, which have already provided access to drinking water for some 5,000 persons.

The new project, scheduled for the years 2008 and 2009, and for which the association has enlisted the help of the Veolia Foundation, is an integral part of a wider operation launched by the Sénégalese government: the "action plan for the Lake of Guiers", currently under way, concerning water development for the entire territory of this region.

Secure water, in quantity and quality alike

For the OMCI, this means connecting the village communities located to the south of the rural commune of Ronkh. The work involves the construction of a reservoir, 30 standpipes and 36,000 linear metres of networks. Thanks to this extension of the network and the many connections, all the villagers living within this perimeter will be supplied fairly.

From the economic standpoint, inclusion in the Plan will serve to optimise the investments, making the cost of the water affordable. 4,980 inhabitants can thus benefit from this new system and use water that is secure both in terms of quality and quantity.

The project is judged exemplary by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is a project of general interest, because many of the inhabitants concerned today do not enjoy access to drinking water, and its integration within the scope of the Société nationale des eaux du Sénégal (SONES) will guarantee its smooth operation and permanence.