Strenuous Efforts Underway To Execute Nouakchott Drinking Water Network Extension Project
The second phase of the extension of the water network in Nouakchott is essential to cover all the residential areas of the capital, according to the current plan of the city, with drinking water. This is one of the major projects implemented by the government in fulfillment of the commitments of the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani.
To shed more light on this extension, the stages of its implementation, its objectives and the technical criteria for its completion, the Mauritanian news agency (AMI) conducted interviews with the concerned officials.
Mr. Abe Vall Ould Mahfoudh, project coordinator of the Nouakchott Water Network Extension Implementation Unit, said the project has two main phases:
– The first, which concerns the completion of 1,500 km2 of pipes and 70,000 house connections, already fully executed and delivered, benefiting citizens in neighborhoods of Tarhil, sector 18, at the rate of 12,000 household connections and a new distribution network.
Some of the older neighborhoods also benefit from this phase, including Ksar, Teyarett, Dar Naim, Sebkha, El Mina, Arafat, and Riyadh.
– The second phase: launched on 12 November 2019 by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazwani, 1,433 km of pipes, in addition to the completion of 100,000 household connections in two stages, namely Supplementary Part 4 and Part 10.
The second phase, according to the project coordinator, came when the government found that neighborhoods in the capital are not covered by the water network after the completion of the initial phase. It was immediately decided to study the updating of the master plan, which resulted in the possibility of completing six new parts, which form the second phase of the project.
The project coordinator pointed out that the percentage of completion of the work on the fourth part in terms of launching and testing of the pipes has reached 90%, while the cleaning and disinfection of the pipes has started, along with the household connections.
He added that the tenth part comprises 374 km of pipes, of which 228 km have been laid, which means that the percentage of work exceeds 60%.
Technical officials estimate that work in these two parts will be completed, at the current rate, within five months.
Mr. Abe Vall Ould Mahfoudh points out that, for the first time, residents will benefit from running water, before the project is completed.
This is a new requirement initiated by the Minister of Water and Sanitation, as he said, revealing that the inhabitants of Hay Sakine, in Dar Naim, will have drinking water in two weeks’ time.
He stressed that the work is in progress and that there are no obstacles, adding that work will be launched soon for new elements, such as the additional part 6, which concerns the coverage of certain parts of the moughataas (districts) of Arafat and Riyadh, then Part 13 relating to the Sebkha and El Mina distribution pole, as deals have been concluded, and work is expected to start soon.
The two remaining parts concern the precarious neighborhoods of Toujounie, Bouhdida, Sebkha, and Kandahar, which cover 7,000 km of pipes and 35,000 household connections. The studies have been conducted, the funding exists, and the tender dossier has been approved by the donor. Currently this dossier is at the level of the Public Procurement Commission, revealing that, in the first months of this year, the technical file will be finalized to start the work.
The project coordinator stressed that the deadlines are generally in favor of the overall objective of the project, to complete the work before 2023, stressing that there are some challenges facing the project, especially the execution in sprawling urban environment, which requires several consultants to follow up and companies to execute.
The project coordinator revealed that the last parts of the project do not require new funds but can be funded from the Phase 1 funding surplus.
For his part, the technical director of the 10th part of the project, Mr. Mohamed Ould Eziz, indicated that this part is the extension of the network of Hay Sakine, Dar Salam, Zaatar, Amourat, Aïn Talh and Soukouk, that took place after the first study.
He added that this part covers 400 km of pipes from 75 mm to 500 mm in diameter, two types of wrought iron and polyethylene pipes. So far, 228 km of these pipes have been laid, or 57%, and 173 km are being tested, which is 75% of the pipes laid.
In the Soukouk area, the person in charge of part 10 affirmed that 70% of the work has been done. As for the Aïn Talh neighborhoods, 50 km of pipes have been laid, there is still the cleaning stage and household connections, which number 22,000.
He indicated that the fourth part concerns the renovation of the network of Cité Plage, and certain areas of Tevragh Zeina, where the percentage of work has exceeded 92%, as 30 km have been cleaned, which represents 10%, as well as the completion of 50 household connections.
Regarding the cleaning of the pipes, the person in charge of part 10 of the project affirmed that the process begins with the identification of the section or the portion to be cleaned, then the study of the pumping power to ensure that cleaning the pipes will not affect the drinking water in the old network. He explained that the cleaning operation is always concomitant with the phase of completing household connections to avoid water stagnation, and in times of low consumption.