CAR is one of the countries most affected by water scarcity, with millions of people lacking access to clean and safe drinking water. The absence of reliable water sources not only poses significant health risks but also hampers socio-economic development and exacerbates existing vulnerabilities within communities.
Recognizing the urgent need to address the water crisis in CAR, Aptech Africa took proactive steps to provide tangible solutions. Through the installation of boreholes, Aptech Africa aimed to not only quench the immediate thirst of communities but also lay the groundwork for long-term resilience and prosperity.
Aptech Africa recently designed, supplied, installed and commissioned three (3) positive boreholes equipped with solar pumps, water storage facilities and Irrigation system at the Ngoulekpa market garden site. The system is composed of three (3) positives boreholes with water towers built on each site to distribute water through the construction of canals.
Each borehole is equipped with 1.92 KW of roof mounted solar panels, 1.85KW Grundfos pumps and Grundfos CU 200 control box. The borehole rates have a flow rate of three cubic meters (3m3) and the pumps have a maximum flow of 4m3. In order to house the equipment and ensure their protection, water towers were built on each site.
The second floor of the water tower houses the solar panels, ensuring their safety due to inaccessibility. The last level of the castle also accommodates the tank, thus facilitating the flow of water with an average pressure. To ensure water distribution throughout the priority area, canals were built at each of the three sites to enable end-users to use the extracted water for watering vegetable crops.
The pumping system is self-contained and requires no special maintenance. The system is managed by an electronic device that starts and stops the pump when it is needed in the tank.
If the tank is full, the float sends the information to the control box, which instantly switches off the pump. The control units locate the interior, and especially the panels, to maximize light capture and prevent clogging.
Aptech Africa took the initiative to train the market gardeners whom are the sites beneficiaries on the use and maintenance of the system. These three (3) sites, now equipped with 3 boreholes to supply drinking water, represent a real hope for the 1,700 or so market gardeners on the Ascena site.
This will go a long way to combating food insecurity solve the problem of water shortages at the various market-garden production sites. Some eight hundred thousand (800,000) inhabitants are supplied with fresh vegetables thanks to this local crop.
