Delivering Reliable Drinking Water Services in South-Western Burkina Faso

Across parts of south-western Burkina Faso, reliable access to safe drinking water has remained under strain. In many areas, ageing infrastructure, limited production capacity, and rising demand have made it harder for water systems to keep pace, leading to recurring shortages and interruptions in service. For affected communities, this has shaped everyday life in practical ways, from uncertainty around household access to the wider health and social pressures that come with an unreliable supply.

The Approvisionnement en Eau Potable et Assainissement – AEPA-4R programme was developed in response to these challenges. Led by the National Office for Water and Sanitation (ONEA), with support from German development cooperation through BMZ/KfW and in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Animal and Fisheries Resources, the programme is designed to sustainably improve access to drinking water and sanitation in 16 small and medium-sized towns across the Bankui (previously Boucle du Mouhoun), Tanunyan (previously Cascades), Guiriko (previously Hauts-Bassins) and Djôrô (previously South-West) regions. Backed by total financing of nearly CFA 31 billion, including CFA 1.7 billion from the State, it combines infrastructure investment with a broader effort to make supply systems more reliable and resilient under growing climatic and demographic pressure, while also supporting longer-term, sustainable management of water resources.

Within this wider programme, the current investment phase represents an overall volume of approximately €40 million and is expected, once fully implemented, to provide more reliable drinking water services to around 800,000 people. GOPA Tech GmbH serves as consultant to ONEA during implementation, supporting the programme through feasibility studies, preliminary anddetailed engineering design, tender documents, assistance during tendering, construction supervision, and the development and execution of accompanying measures.

To date, the programme has already produced visible results across multiple towns. In 12 cities, 42 boreholes have been drilled, helping to increase the availability of drinking water and reinforce local supply systems. Niangoloko has also seen a substantial extension of its water infrastructure, with 65 km of piping laid, 2,100 private connections installed, and 8 standpipes brought into service. Alongside these physical investments, a hygiene awareness programme has been rolled out in all beneficiary towns to promote good practices and help ensure that the infrastructure delivers lasting benefits over time.

Strengthening Water Production and Distribution Systems

A major milestone was recently marked with the inauguration of new water supply infrastructure serving Banfora and Bérégadougou. The works significantly expand both production and distribution capacity, helping to address long-standing supply constraints in the area.

The new infrastructure includes raw water transmission pipelines, a water treatment plant, storage facilities with a total capacity of 1,650 cubic metres, and a 178-kilometre extension of the distribution network, all of which strengthen the operational capacity of ONEA’s water supply system. Before the project, production capacity in Banfora stood at around 200 cubic metres per hour. With the new facilities in operation, this has increased to more than 600 cubic metres per hour, giving the system much greater capacity to respond to rising demand in Banfora and surrounding communities.

In Banfora and Bérégadougou, the completed works make the project’s impact especially tangible. The drinking water treatment plant has been rehabilitated and extended to a capacity of 600 m³/h or more, while a raw water supply system has been built from the SN-SOSUCO canal. In terms of storage, Banfora now has an 850 m³ reinforced concrete reservoir and a 500 m³ water tower built on a 17-metre structure, while Bérégadougou has gained a 300 m³ water tower on a 15-metre structure. Water distribution has been strengthened through the 178 km network extension, the installation of 2,865 private connections, and the addition of 26 standpipes. The companies DENYS NV and PPI/CGC were involved in delivering these works. On the social and environmental side, 1,003 affected people were compensated, no major complaints or traffic accidents were reported, and a reforestation plan was validated and implemented alongside measures to improve land management.

During the visit to the installations, the responsible Minister welcomed both the speed of implementation and the quality of the works, noting that the authorities were “truly satisfied” with what had been delivered. He also underlined the practical significance of the improvements, stating that there should “no longer be water shortages or supply cuts” in Banfora and surrounding villages, while pointing to the importance of the newly installed public standpipes for communities in areas not yet fully developed. Representatives of German cooperation likewise described the investment as a long-term, structuring intervention, calling it “a structuring investment — a foundational infrastructure project” designed to support durable water supply over the years ahead.

The visit also included the water intake near the domes of Fabédougou as well as several newly installed public standpipes, which now provide essential access points in neighborhoods where household connections are not yet available.

Improving Access to Water for Local Communities

The significance of the project lies not only in the scale of the infrastructure, but in the everyday difference it makes for people and communities. In areas where access had been limited or unreliable, obtaining water often meant time, effort, and uncertainty. With the extension of the distribution network and the installation of new public standpipes, water is now available closer to where people live. This reduces the daily burden of collection and makes access more dependable for households that had previously been underserved.

In Banfora and Bérégadougou, around 187,000 people are directly benefiting from the investments. Expanded production capacity, new household connections, additional standpipes and more secure supply are helping improve the reliability of drinking water services in both towns. The project’s wider benefits also extend to schools, health centres, women’s groups, and local management committees, linking infrastructure improvements with broader community support and awareness-raising efforts.

The project has also strengthened the resilience of water supply systems to climate-related pressures. The active involvement of municipalities and the strengthening of local capacities contribute to the sustainable management of the infrastructure, while social support measures, including compensation for affected people and the handling of complaints, have helped foster community acceptance. Representatives of ONEA highlighted that the increase in production capacity and the extension of the network will enable the system to provide a more stable and reliable supply across Banfora and Bérégadougou, reaffirming the utility’s commitment to meeting local needs and noting that “ONEA’s capacity is more than sufficient to supply water to the population.”

The project also highlights a dimension of water infrastructure that goes beyond service provision alone. Reliable access to potable water supports healthier living conditions, reduces exposure to water-borne disease, and improves household hygiene. The benefits are felt beyond the point of access: more reliable drinking water supports public health, helps sustain local livelihoods, and improves daily life in practical ways.

A Partnership Supporting Sustainable Infrastructure

The programme reflects close cooperation between national institutions and international development partners working to strengthen essential public services. German development cooperation contributed nearly 23 billion CFA francs toward the project, supporting investments in water infrastructure designed to meet both current and future demand. As representatives noted during the visit, the works are intended not simply as an immediate response, but as infrastructure planned with durability in view — “looking ahead 5, 10, even 15 years” to help ensure long-term water supply. Within the programme, GOPA Tech provides technical support and expertise, contributing to the implementation of sustainable and reliable water supply systems across the project area.

Laying the Foundations for More Reliable Access

Taken together, the AEPA-4R investments in south-western Burkina Faso represent more than the expansion of water infrastructure. They show how investment in public services can lead to practical improvements that people experience in everyday life: more reliable access, cleaner water, less time spent collecting it, and stronger conditions for health and wellbeing.

As the programme advances across its wider geography, the completed works in Banfora, Bérégadougou and Niangoloko offer a clear example of what strengthened water systems can make possible. Beyond the infrastructure itself, they point to a more reliable public service and to lasting benefits for the communities that depend on it. The project therefore stands as a useful model for similar initiatives at the national level.