Assurer des services d'approvisionnement en eau potable fiables dans le sud-ouest du 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.

Améliorer l'accès à l'eau pour les communautés locales

L’importance de ce projet ne réside pas seulement dans l’ampleur des infrastructures, mais aussi dans l’amélioration concrète qu’il apporte au quotidien aux habitants et aux communautés. Dans les zones où l’accès à l’eau était limité ou aléatoire, s’approvisionner en eau demandait souvent du temps, des efforts et était source d’incertitude. Grâce à l’extension du réseau de distribution et à l’installation de nouvelles bornes-fontaines publiques, l’eau est désormais disponible à proximité des lieux de vie des habitants. Cela allège la charge quotidienne liée à la collecte et rend l’accès à l’eau plus fiable pour les ménages qui étaient auparavant mal desservis.

À Banfora et à Bérégadougou, environ 187 000 personnes bénéficient directement de ces investissements. L’augmentation de la capacité de production, les nouveaux raccordements des foyers, les bornes-fontaines supplémentaires et un approvisionnement plus sûr contribuent à améliorer la fiabilité des services d’eau potable dans ces deux villes. Les retombées plus larges du projet s’étendent également aux écoles, aux centres de santé, aux groupes de femmes et aux comités de gestion locaux, associant ainsi les améliorations des infrastructures à un soutien communautaire plus large et à des efforts de sensibilisation.

Le projet a également renforcé la résilience des systèmes d’approvisionnement en eau face aux pressions liées au climat. L’implication active des municipalités et le renforcement des capacités locales contribuent à la gestion durable des infrastructures, tandis que les mesures de soutien social, notamment l’indemnisation des personnes concernées et le traitement des réclamations, ont favorisé l’adhésion de la population. Les représentants de l’ONEA ont souligné que l’augmentation de la capacité de production et l’extension du réseau permettront au système d’assurer un approvisionnement plus stable et plus fiable à Banfora et à Bérégadougou, réaffirmant ainsi l’engagement de l’entreprise à répondre aux besoins locaux et précisant que « la capacité de l’ONEA est largement suffisante pour approvisionner la population en eau ».

Ce projet met également en lumière une dimension des infrastructures hydrauliques qui va au-delà de la simple prestation de services. Un accès fiable à l’eau potable favorise des conditions de vie plus saines, réduit l’exposition aux maladies d’origine hydrique et améliore l’hygiène des ménages. Les bénéfices se font sentir bien au-delà du simple point d’accès : un approvisionnement en eau potable plus fiable renforce la santé publique, contribue à soutenir les moyens de subsistance locaux et améliore concrètement la vie quotidienne.

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.

Jeter les bases d’un accès plus fiable

Dans l’ensemble, les investissements de l’AEPA-4R dans le sud-ouest du Burkina Faso ne se limitent pas à l’extension des infrastructures hydriques. Ils montrent comment l’investissement dans les services publics peut déboucher sur des améliorations concrètes dont la population bénéficie au quotidien : un accès plus fiable, une eau plus propre, moins de temps consacré à son collecte, ainsi que de meilleures conditions de santé et de bien-être.

Alors que le programme s’étend à l’ensemble de sa zone d’intervention, les travaux achevés à Banfora, Bérégadougou et Niangoloko offrent un exemple clair de ce que des systèmes d’approvisionnement en eau renforcés peuvent permettre. Au-delà des infrastructures elles-mêmes, elles témoignent d’un service public plus fiable et d’avantages durables pour les communautés qui en dépendent. Le projet constitue donc un modèle utile pour des initiatives similaires à l’échelle nationale.