1.4.2 Water Treatment

1.4.2 Water Treatment By Yuzki Wang

SENEGAL WATER TREATMENT OVERVIEW Senegal as one of the countries located on the Continent Coastline, has one of the most developed and advanced water supply and sanitation sectors. As reported by the Drinking Water and Sanitation Program (Millennium Development Goal UN, 2015), the access rate to improved drinking water resources in Senegal was 64% in 2012 and increased to 74% in 2014. However, current Senegal legislation does not recognize the human right to water and sanitation practices. It further argues that Senegal people, specifically rural area residents, have an insufficient acknowledgement of appropriate sanitation and potable water practices. Although the national potable water crisis has been improved over recent years, sanitation practice appears to be procrastinating, rural areas in particular. According to UN Water (2014), with 26% of the unserved population, 23% reside in rural areas of Senegal. The organisation also claims that there are no effective complaint mechanisms on sanitation and end-users in rural areas only have limited involvement in sanitation practice planning.

Figure 8 Sanitation and Drinking-water practice from equity in governance perspective in Senegal

UN Water, (2014).

Figure 9 Population with access to improved sanitation facilities in Senegal

UN Water, (2014).

APPROPRIATE WATER TREATING PRACTICE Water treatment is the mechanism of improving water quality to make it appropriate for a particular end-use. Drinking water and wastewater are recognised as the most critical aspects of water treatment in different countries. Developed countries have proficient water treatment plants, systems and relevant regulation on monitoring and governance of the process. For raw water purification, there are 4 essential steps of the water treatment process: Coagulation, Sedimentation, filtration, disinfection, (Hunter water, 2021). The drinking water treatment allows the removal of contaminants, harmful microbes and bacteria from raw water and to make sure the water is pure enough for human consumption. Although the water treatment process might vary slightly across different nations and cities, the primary principles of technology used in water treatment remain largely the same. Wastewater treatment, however, is much more challenging to practice. In developed countries, the process involves wastewater collection, screening, primary treatment, Secondary Treatment, Bio-solids handling, Tertiary treatment, disinfection and sludge treatment (Wang et al, 2015).

CURRENT PRACTICE OF WATER TREATMENT AT BAGHERE In Baghere, there is no specific water treatment for drinking water and wastewater (Kaira Looro, 2021).

In Baghere, 86% of population live in homes without a source of potable water (Kaira Looro, 2021).The major water resources for the Baghere Community are Surface water from the Casamance river, groundwater from local wells and rainwater from the rainwater tower. There is no evidence supporting the Casamance river water being drinkable. It is most likely to be polluted due to incompetent waste management practice at Baghere (Kaira Looro, 2021). Groundwater is also not a guaranteed water resource to consume directly due to potential contamination of heavy metals, bacteria and virus infection. Although the public may consider rainwater as safe and clean, it could still pose a significant hazard. Rainwater is also very likely contaminated by toxic metal roofing, and bacterial infection due to mosquito breeding within the water tank (Taylor, 2018).

On the other hand, Baghere is predominantly disposing wastewater in the road, in nature, or in openairlandfills (Kaira Looro, 2021). Baghere may has a few on-site wastewater treatments but they are most likely with no appropriate monitoring and training. Pit latrines (long drop toilet) and septic tanks are the potential waste management that Baghere residents have been practicing. These infrastructures are often carrying risks of soil and groundwater contamination due to several factors. For Pit latrines, there is concern that due to lack of a physical barrier between stored excrement and soil/groundwater, it may result in microbiological and chemical contamination of soil, crops and groundwater (Graham and Polizzotto, 2013). Likewise, septic tanks in rural areas tended to be built and maintained poorly in rural Senegal, and inadequate septic systems are most likely to result in both groundwater and surface water contamination.

Accordingly, by reviewing the existing water treatment practice at Baghere, this report concluded three essential water crises the Baghere community is facing: Raw water consumption, domestic wastewater, and agricultural pollution.

Even though critical issues have been identified, competent water treatment practice is challenging to develop at Baghere due to two main reasons: insufficient infrastructure and poor monitoring and maintenance. In Baghere, there is no water treating plants or adequate pipework. Domestic water and wastewater are not advised through an effective monitoring system. Besides, lack of power supply at the village also to a great extent hindered water and wastewater treatment.

Therefore, our Baghere Women’s House proposal engages in providing practical and proficient WASH facilities for the identified water crisis and barriers, as well as accommodating training and education to enhance the expertise for operation and upkeep of the WASH facilities for both water and wastewater management.

Figure 10 Hazardous events for permeable and impermeable contamination by pit latrine

World Health Organisation, (2018).