ESI Africa
Tuesday May 10, 2022
Aptech Africa recently commissioned a solar-powered reverse
osmosis water treatment plant in Caynabo, Somalia.
The system has a nominal flow is 6m3/s. The flexotank
capacity is 45m3/s which can fill at least 4 trucks daily, while four
distribution taps are operational. The photovoltaic power supply is 41.08kWp.
The water is extracted by pumps through piping to the hydraulic container and,
therefore, a series of valves were also installed to ensure the right operation
of the pump.
Before the system was installed, the Ministry of Water
Project Coordinator, Abdullahi Mohammed, reported that people suffered poor
hygiene and kidney stones because of the lack of clean drinking water, with
most households unable to access even five litres of water per day. It was also
very expensive to buy drinking water for the whole family as bottled water
costs $0.45 per litre.
Prior to the system, residents had to drive to Burco town
which is about 130km away from Caynabo. As this was too expensive for some,
they resorted to drinking the well water that has a high saline level and is
not safe for drinking.
Now, thanks to this system, people do not need to travel a
long distance to get water. This facility serves the total population of
Caynabo with about 7,000 people, as well as around 3,000 people from
neighbouring villages.
This UNDP-funded project uses a reverse osmosis system
supplied by Genius Water. The site for this project was selected because of its
nearness to the well and because of its location at the centre of Caynabo.
Trucks come to pick up water, and there are water troughs for the camels, so
the local authorities helped to select the site.
Though there is a water crisis in Caynabo and the Sahara
region at large, those living in Caynabo and around are now able to access
clean and safe drinking water from the plant on a daily basis.