The French Development Agency (AFD) is providing a €12.5 million grant to the Gambian government. This financing is intended for the implementation of a drinking water supply project in the Greater Banjul area, the Gambian capital.
The grant agreement was signed on March 20, 2023, in advance of World Water Day, which was celebrated on March 22, 2023. The €12.5 million financing granted by the French Development Agency (AFD) will allow the implementation of the Greater Banjul Drinking Water Supply Project. The project, which will be launched shortly, aims to improve the supply of drinking water to nearly 900,000 people in the Gambian capital.
Improving drinking water storage
Among the works planned are the rehabilitation of eight damaged reservoirs in Greater Banjul, as well as the construction of new elevated and ground water tanks to replace the existing facilities in Serrekunda, with capacities ranging from 500 to 900 m3. As part of the drinking water project, the galvanized panels of three damaged elevated water tanks will also be replaced, as well as those of nine transfer pumps. The transfer pump stations (Brikama North Line and Kotu Ring) will also be upgraded.
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The project also includes the design and construction of two boreholes, including equipment and connection to the transfer line to the new Yundum reservoir and MV line, connection of a borehole in the airport area to the transfer line to the new Yundum reservoir and MV line, design and installation of a 2.58 km transmission line from the borehole to the new Yundum elevated reservoir, including all joints, valves, appurtenances and structure.
Installation of a telemetric control system
The National Water and Electricity Company of Gambia (NAWEC) also announced the replacement of the chlorination system at existing water treatment plants with calcium hypochlorite, and training in the operation and management of five of them in Greater Banjul. A telemetric monitoring and control system will be put in place to supervise all the drinking water supply facilities, including 21 reservoirs, 16 wells in the Birkama field and 19 stand-alone wells.
The Greater Banjul Water Supply Project is a response to the floods, particularly those of July and August 2022, which caused extensive damage to the Gambian capital’s drinking water network. AFD has allocated 3 million euros in financing to support this component of the project and reduce the fiscal deficit.
Inès Magoum
