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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
PRO-POOR SEWER SOLUTIONS
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).
LESSONS LEARNED
• Pro-poor sanitation solutions must not only be affordable
but also sustainable.
• Community engagement is central to pro-poor sanitation
solutions.