alarming water quality study results for packaged water in Senegal

Between August and September 2018, a team of four dedicated researchers from Dakar’s esteemed Cheikh-Anta-Diop University undertook a critical investigation into the safety of packaged water in Senegal. Their focus was on the most popular form of consumption: water sachets, widely favored across Dakar due to their affordability. The team collected 60 samples from 15 distinct brands across the capital’s five largest markets—Tilène, Thiaroye, Colobane, Grand-Yoff, and Soumbédioune. These sachets typically contained between 300 ml and 500 ml of water.

The findings from this comprehensive study are unequivocal and raise serious concerns about public health. Two separate tests were conducted to detect the presence of microorganisms, including molds and bacteria commonly found in the environment or linked to intestinal contamination. The results revealed alarmingly high levels, significantly surpassing the stringent standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for safe drinking water.

A staggering eighty-three percent of the sampled water sachets were found to be contaminated with various bacteriological germs. Furthermore, 15% of the samples contained coliforms, indicating a potential and deeply concerning contamination by fecal matter.

The university study highlights that these findings are a clear indicator of “defective hygiene in the processing” of packaged water. It warns of a significant “health risk” to the “population of Dakar who consume these waters,” emphasizing the urgent need to “warn consumers” and implement stricter “controls on the sale of packaged water sachets.” This critical issue for Dakar’s public health is further underscored by recent law enforcement actions. Just last May, Senegalese police successfully dismantled 12 clandestine production sites for these water sachets operating in the suburbs surrounding Dakar.