Water without salt or fluorine for the Guinguineo region

Northeast of Kaolack, you have to dig really deep to find drinking water.A first network spreading out from a 273 meter deep borehole helped supply the 15 000 inhabitants of the commune of Guinguineo. Other villages will shortly be connected.

Humanitarian and Development

  • Location:

    Guiguineo, Senegal

  • Sponsor:

    David Poinard

  • Grant:

    38 000 € to the Selection Committee at 2009/12/01

Project leader

Enda Tiers-Monde

The Veolia Foundation assigned me as an expert to validate the technical aspect of the Guinguineo project.As a trained hydrogeologist, I am also a member of the technical committee of the Fonds de Solidarité et de Développement Durable pour l'Eau du Grand Lyon which funds humanitarian projects in this area.The efforts that we have already made in the region of Kaolack must be continued: the region cruelly lacks water.
David Poinard
Veoliaforce Volunteer

Wells drying up in the dry season, excessive salt and fluorine contents: the commune of Guinguineo, located northeast of Kaolack (about 200 km southeast of Dakar), is faced with chronic difficulties of access to drinking water.Apart from the food safety hazards that this poses to the population, this situation raises problems of public health: the inhabitants suffer from fluorosis for example.

Since 2007, thanks to a partnership between Fonds de Solidarité et de Développement Durable pour l'Eau du Grand Lyon, the Senegalese association Enda Tiers-Monde and the Veolia Waterforce unit (called Veoliaforce today and integrated with the Veolia Foundation), a drinking water supply system was constructed.A 273 meter deep well now supplies a 150 m3 water tower and a water network with 10 standpipes.The training of a local water management committee guarantees that the installations will operate permanently.

Enabling another 9000 villagers to enjoy healthy water

Several neighboring villages, as well as the nearby commune of Ngathié Naoundé, observing the resulting improvements in terms of quality of life, have asked to benefit from this access to drinking water.

The new Enda project therefore covers the extension of the current system, with the construction of 15 000 linear meters of drinking water supply network and 10 new standpipes.Ten water specialists will be trained and ten new management committees formed.This initiative is backed by the Veolia Foundation and by its sponsor, who has once again contributed its technical expertise to guarantee the viability of the project.Beyond the 15 000 inhabitants of Guinguineo, another 9000 villagers will soon enjoy access to drinking water.