Green Hills, Blue Cities

This system discharges to a large activated sludge treatment plant at Cambérène. There is also a smaller sewerage network in Rufisque, discharging 2 860 m 3 /day of wastewater into a local lagoon-based plant. In 2004, it was estimated that only about 14 per cent of sewage was collected and treated (Hoang-Gia and others 2004), and the rest was discharged into the sea without treatment. A report by the Senegalese sanitation authority (ONAS 2009) states that during the period 2005–2008, about 28 000 connections were made to the sewerage network in Dakar, and that a further 64 000 connections will be made before 2015. The cost for connection estimated at USD 215 is not affordable to many residents, and a subsidy programme enabled 10 000 new connections at a cost of USD 30 per household Given the high cost of sewer connections, a pro-poor sewerage programme was piloted in Dakar. The World Bank-funded Programme d’amélioration de l’assainissement des quartiers périurbains de Dakar (PAQPUD) serving peri-urban districts of Dakar introduced low-cost sewerage technologies on a large scale (Norman 2009). The technologies apply various technical strategies such as smaller diameter pipes, local materials, shallower gradients, and less frequent inspection points. The project involved socio-organisational strategies, including community financing, community construction and community maintenance, with the overall goal to reduce investment costs (Mara 1996). The low cost sewer system initially targeted 127 000 people. Unfortunately, the project suffered diverse problems including poor design and poor construction (Hoang-Gia and others 2004), and failed. In hindsight, the project clearly served as a very useful model for scaling up affordable technologies (Norman 2009). PRO-POOR SEWER SOLUTIONS

LESSONS LEARNED

• Pro-poor sanitation solutions must not only be affordable but also sustainable. • Community engagement is central to pro-poor sanitation solutions.

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