Non sewered sanitation: AfWASA teaches good emptying practices to Burkina Faso actors

From April 24 to May 6, 2023, AfWASA organized a capacity building workshop for the faecal sludge management actors of Burkina Faso. Approximately 80 mechanical and manual emptying workers and business managers from the cities of Bobo-Dioulasso and Ouagadougou benefited from this training.

The objective was to teach them the best practices of their trade, practices that preserve their health and the environment, the maintenance of the vehicles of emptying, the security measures to be observed, the adequate equipment and the administrative and financial management of their company. The goal is the professionalization of their activity, the delivery of quality services and a better view of the population on their profession.

For Ousseini Ouédraogo, General Secretary of the Association of emptiers of Bobo, the training will change the way emptiers in Burkina Faso do business: "We have learned, among other things, that for our health and the health of the population, we must stop Indiscriminate disposal of feacal sludge. We must discharge them at the treatment plant. We also learned that during the emptying process, we must separate wastewater from fecal sludge. Finally, we

learned that our job will be appreciated by the population only if we value it and this valorisation must be started by wearing clean clothes when we present ourselves in front of a client.

He expressed the wish that all the emptiers of Burkina Faso could benefit from this training. But in the meantime, he plans a restitution to the members of his association.

This training workshop is part of a program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the EDE/TA Hub, of which the National Water and Sanitation Office is the main beneficiary. It was conducted by AfWASA in collaboration with its Regional Implementing Partner (PREMO), the Centre des Métiers de l'Eau (CEMEAU) of Burkina Faso.

The African Water and Sanitation Association is delighted to inform its members as well as the entire water and sanitation sector community that the 91st meeting of its Scientific and Technical Council (STC) will be held from July 3^rd to 5^th, 2023 in Johannesburg, South Africa, under the theme “From AfWA to AfWASA: What governance and management structures to boost water and sanitation performance in Africa".

This 91st meeting, which is held in a context of restructuring of the CST, will be marked by the effective establishment of the new Strategic and Technological Council, replacing the Scientific and Technical Council, and by the launch of calls for proposals for specialist committees.

AfWASA hereby invites all stakeholders as well as all those interested in the development of the water and sanitation sector on the continent, to save the date to participate in this meeting of exchanges around the challenges of access to water and sanitation in Africa.

It is important to flag that the 91st AfWASA STC meeting is co-hosted by Rand Water and the Water research Commission and will take place back-to-back with IFAT, the largest German trade fair for the water and wastewater industry.

The registration link as well as the agenda will be communicated to you soon.

The German African Partnership for Water  and  Sanitation (GAPWAS)  is the  cooperation  project  between the  African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA) and the German Water Partnership  (GWP), financed  by the  German  Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and  Development  (BMZ) via the  sequa  gGmbH. One of the  goals  of GAPWAS  is to facilitate  joint workshops  as  well as  technical  and  peer  to peer  exchange  and to foster contacts between members  of GWP and AfWASA.

The present  concept contributes to these  goals by combining the  expertise  of German and  African experts  in the  field of water and sanitation in the form of a jointly given interactive workshop  for the  members   of both  associations.  The joint identification of workshop topics and the opportunity to ask questions underscores the  mutual  intention  to address  and share  knowledge  on real  challenges  and  needs  of AfWASA members  and  thus  contribute  to  improving drinking water supply and sanitation including reuse in the region.

The workshop is conducted online for 2 hours and takes place every two to three months. Each workshop is conducted under a specific technical topic with two experts being members  of GWP and  two  experts  from the  membership  or network  of AfWASA.

Ask the experts – 6th  edition

The 6th  edition of the “Ask the experts” series will be organized on 25th April 2023 at 10h00 UTC (Abidjan time) and the topic to be treated  will be:

“Valorising the  end-products  of domestic  and industrial wastewater treatment”.

Wastewater contains essential resources, whose value is increasingly getting  appreciated.  Along with the global acceptance    and   support   for  adopting   the   paradigm   of circular economy,  the  term  ‘waste’water often  is replaced by ‘used’water.  The formerly ‘wasted’  resources  of water, energy and nutrients are getting increasingly expensive and/ or scarce.

Therefore,  today’s  wastewater  treatment  systems   should be planned  from the end: who needs  and commits to reuse the treated  water,  energy  and nutrients? What qualities and quantities are needed?  This information will guide the design process,  i.e.  where  and  how  wastewater is collected  and treated  and corresponding technologies.

The  invited  Experts  will  present  and  discuss  two  cases:

1. Reuse of  excess   sludge  from  industrial  wastewater treatment  in Ethiopia

The  Capital  of  Addis Ababa  has  established   new   industrial clusters. The wastewater of the  textile  cluster is treated  in the industrial park's treatment plant.  The produced  excess sludge still contains  industrial  contaminants and  therefore   is not suitable  for agricultural re-use.  However, a nearby  cement factory is constantly  in need  of fuel. The experts will describe and explain, how a solar drying process is successfully applied to produce   a  sludge   with   90%  dry  matter   ready   to  be   co- incinerated  in the  cement  factory as  renewable energy  fuel. The  project is  enabled    and   financed   by   the   GIZ   facility DeveloPPP.de.

2. Reuse of energy and water from domestic wastewater treatment  in the Germany & Namibia

The Free  Hanseatic  City of  Bremen’s  wastewater treatment plant  has  adopted   anaerobic  digestion  of  its  excess  sludge and  producing  electricity  from  the  captured  biogas  to  power it’s blower  units  for the  activated  sludge  process  as  early  as 1966.   Since   2014,   the    utility   including   the   wastewater treatment  works  –   one   of  the  highest  energy  consumers  in many cities around the globe –are  fully  energy   neutral,   thanks to  a  number  of  additional measures  taken over the years.

The City of Windhoek is situated  in a desert-like  climate  with an average annual rainfall around 360 mm and an annual evaporation   of  3,400  mm.  It  is  known  for  having  started reusing  parts  of its treated  domestic  wastewater for drinking water  production as early as 1969. Over the years, it’s facilities for treating  and  reclaiming  wastewater for potable  use  have been  updated  in an  effort  to  cope  with  a  population  having grown  from  less  than  100,000  inhabitants   in  1980  to  more than 430,000 in 2020.

Besides sharing impressive  facts and figures around  the  reuse of  water,   energy   and  nutrients   in  Bremen  and  Windhoek, the  experts  will share  important   elements of  their  learning journey  from  day-to-day  operation  of treatment plants,  e.g., understanding  the   performance    of  the   plant   at   different steps  of the  treatment process  with  the  help  of taking  and analysing   samples   for   systematic   C-N-P balances   (critical Carbon-Nitrogen-Phosphorous ratio).

Click here to register

Download the flyer here

A delegation from the African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA), led by its Executive Director Mr. Sylvain Usher, is in Conakry, Guinea, from April 12 to 14, 2023, as part of the preparations of the 22nd AfWASA International Congress and Exhibition. The objective of this mission is to support the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), and to share experiences for a successful event.

During the discussions, the chairman of the LOC, Mr. Camara Aboubacar, General Manager of the Société des Eaux de Guinée (SEG), welcomed the decision of AfWASA to allow Guinea to host its 22nd Congress, "despite the exceptional situation it is going through".

It is a sign of the trust you place in us, and we are committed to proving that we can overcome the challenge," Camara said

Guinea is called "the water tower of Africa" because of its vast water potential. However, access of the populations to water remains a challenge. Organizing this congress will allow the population to realize that the issue of access to water and sanitation services is at the heart of the country's authorities' concerns, and that they are doing their best to address it," continued the SEG's General Director.

The Executive Director of AfWASA, Sylvain Usher, welcomed the willingness of Guinea to organize the event. He reaffirmed his confidence in the team and in its ability to successfully carry out all activities.

The discussion session was followed by an experience sharing on the organization of the 21st AfWASA Congress held in February 2023 in Abidjan, the working sessions of the subcommittees and finally the visit of the Palais du Peuple of Guinea, where the Congress will be held.

All in Guinea Conakry, from 18 to 22 February 2024 for the 22^nd AfWASA International Congress and Exhibition.

Technical Sheet 

The training will be conducted in French

Registration link : https://training.afwasa.org/formation/registration/form-training/104

Click on the link to register : https://training.afwasa.org/formation/registration/form-training/104

The United Nations Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the objectives of the International Decade for Action ‘’Water and Sustainable Development’’ (2018-2028) was held from 22 to 24 March 2023 in New York. The conference brought together heads of state and government, ministers, and stakeholders from all sectors to jointly assess the international agreed goals, including Sustainable Development Goal 6 of the 2030 Agenda for a More Just Future, which aims to ensure access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene for all.

The conference was marked by special events, side events, plenary sessions and interactive dialogues.

AfWASA is delighted to share with you the main recommendations of these interactives dialogues.

Click on the link to see the documents.

The UN 2023 Water Conference closed on Friday with the adoption of the Water Action Agenda, a “milestone” action plan containing almost 700 commitments to protect “humanity’s most precious global common good”.

Below is the statement of Mr. Antonio Guterres, General Secretaruy of UN

Mr. President, excellencies, colleagues, friends, 

My thanks to the Netherlands and Tajikistan for co-hosting this conference — a milestone at the midway point of the Water Action Decade.

I also thank the President of the General Assembly, and the representatives of all levels of government who attended — as well as the scientists, academics, civil society groups, indigenous peoples, members of the private sector and young people who have joined us.

Together, your ambitious vision and dedication to action and transformation is propelling us towards a sustainable, equitable and inclusive water-secure future for people and planet alike.

Dear friends,

This conference demonstrated a central truth.

As humanity’s most precious global common good, water unites us all.

And it flows across a number of global challenges.

Water is about health, sanitation, hygiene and disease-prevention.

Water is about peace. 

Water is about sustainable development, fighting poverty, supporting food systems and creating jobs and prosperity.

Water is about human rights and gender equality.

That’s why water needs to be at the centre of the global political agenda.

All of humanity’s hopes for the future depend, in some way, on charting a new science-based course to bring the Water Action Agenda to life.   

They depend on realizing the game-changing, inclusive and action-oriented commitments made by Member States and others at this Conference.

This means reinforcing water’s place as a fundamental human right.

It means reducing the pressures on our hydrological system, and ensuring good decision-making and smart policies.

It means developing new, alternative food systems to reduce the unsustainable use of water in food production and agriculture.

It means designing and implementing a new global water information system to guide plans and priorities by 2030.

It means integrating our approach on water, ecosystems and climate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen communities.

This includes resilient infrastructure, water pipelines and wastewater treatment plans, and ensuring every person in the world is protected with early warning systems against natural disasters by 2027.

It means continuing to press for climate justice and global action to limit global warming to a 1.5 degree rise. 

And it means dramatically accelerating resources and investment into the ability of all countries to reach Sustainable Development Goal 6.

A number of other follow-up steps are under consideration – including the appointment of a Special Envoy on Water to advance the prominence of water in the lead-up to this September’s SDG Summit, as well as the Summit of the Future next year.   

I look forward to reviewing our progress during July’s high level political meetings.

And I can assure the full support of the United Nations system every step of the way.

Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

Without water, there can be no sustainable development.

As we leave this historic conference, let’s re-commit to our common future.

Let’s take the next steps in our journey to a water-secure future for all.

Once again, I thank the Netherlands, Tajikistan and the President of the General Assembly for their leadership.

Together, you’ve brought the world together around solving the water challenge and reinforcing international collaboration for this vital resource.

And I thank all those who contributed their ideas to this conference, and to the creation of the Water Action Agenda.

Excellencies, 

Now is the time to act. 

Thank you. 

The 21st AfWA International Congress and Exhibition and the 7th Conference on Faecal Sludge Management took place from February 19 to 23, 2023 in Abidjan, under the theme : acting for sustainable resource management and access to water and sanitation services for all in Africa.

At the end of the congress, the following statement was made:

We, the Ministers in charge of water and sanitation issues present at the 21st Congress of the African Water Association and the 7th International Conference on Sludge Management,

1. Guided by the principles and ideals of the United Nations Charter;
2. Recognizing that access to safe drinking water and sanitation is essential for economic and social development;
3. Recognizing the need to implement integrated water resource management to ensure the use of water for all present purposes and the preservation of water for future purposes;

Click here to read the full declaration