Cameroon Signs Agreements For Douala Water Distribution Network
The project aims to supply 400,000 m3 per day of potable water.
Cameroon Water Utilities corporation (Camwater) has signed two partnership agreements for the implementation of the 400,000-cubic-metre-a-day (cm/d) Douala drinking water distribution network reconfiguration project.
Signed with Belgium’s Besix and Turkey’s Ersa Construction on 6 July, the agreements will see the firms execute a drinking water supply project in the city of Douala and its surroundings using the Wouri river, with a capacity of 400,000 m3/day; extend the Japoma treatment station, which will supply 68,000 m3/day from the Dibamba river; construct 10 urban boreholes; and rehabilitate four boreholes built as part of the emergency transitional measures project.
As of 2021, Douala had an installed potable water production capacity of 303,400 m3/d and a total of 3.4 million inhabitants. While the city has abundant availability of water supply, accessibility is an issue. This is due to geographical and technical barriers, the price of water, pipeline leakages and water cuts, along with inadequate action from the government. As a result, the citizens resort to collecting water from sources such as wells, boreholes and springs, which could be contaminated and lead to various waterborne diseases.
In his new year address in 2023, President Paul Biya underscored the importance of ensuring the availability of sufficient drinking water supplies in the country. “Access to safe drinking water for our population is one of my main concerns,” the President said. “I have instructed the government to urgently finalise procedures for the launching, in 2023, of the megaproject to supply drinking water to the city of Douala and its environs.”
Camwater is currently seeking funding from the World Bank for its various projects, specifically the financing of dedicated networks to supply production plants, as well as the funding of Camwater’s energy autonomy plans, which will help it boost water production capacity and achieve savings through the valuation and optimisation of non-fossil resources. The company’s director-general Blaise Moussa met with a delegation from the bank on 4 July, where they discussed Camwater's five-year priority investment programme 2023-27, which aims to help the country meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Photo: Douala drinking water facility (© Camwater)
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