Despite dire warnings against drinking the tap water in
Senegal, my first week in Dakar I forgot and rinsed my toothbrush in it. When I realized my mistake I shuddered in
horror and tossed the toothbrush in the trash.
Since then I have paid anywhere from 500 – 1,500 CFA for a 1.5 liter
bottle of water. At 2 liters a day drinking water was costing me about $12 a week. Eventually I found places to buy
water in more economical 10 liter jugs but when a broken sewer pipe caused a
two week water shortage in Dakar, the supply of 10 liter jugs dried up all over
the country.
Saint Louis
centers on an island in the middle of the Senegal River so there is water all
around. Yet, during the dry season, the
city can go for months without receiving a drop of rain. Shifting currents drive salt water from the
ocean into the river, turning its waters brackish so the city draws its water
from inland sources rather than the river.
The urban
master plan of 1828 imposed an orthogonal grid on Saint Louis. After his appointment as Governor in 1854,
Louis Faidherbe had the sewer lines installed and then subdivided lots on the
island for homes and businesses, yet 21st century Saint Louis
suffers from deferred maintenance issues.
The city has been upgrading the storm water drainage pipes to reduce the
risk of flooding but the construction has not improved water pressure.
This ruined water tower two blocks north of our apartment is one reason water pressure is so precarious.
Water
service cuts off without warning for hours at a time so most households try to
keep a reserve on hand. The most affluent citizens add electric pumps to their
reserve tanks so that they can enjoy uninterrupted showers when the flow of
city water slows to a trickle, but living on the 4th floor without a
pump makes it even harder for water to reach our taps in a steady stream. Washing my hair has therefore become an
ordeal because more often than not, the water cuts out just when my hair is
full of shampoo.
So far, Senegal is sounding like a nice place to visit, but... I am too spoiled by simple luxuries.
ReplyDeletedbg
Hi Debbie,
DeleteI have learned that visiting a place as a tourist and making an extended stay are very different experiences!
Eesh. Puts things in context. When they have the shut the water off in my building for maybe 2 hours, to fix the water heater or something, it's an EVENT. I call in late to work. My roommate harasses the front desk guy...folks in St. Louis would no doubt think we were insane.
ReplyDeleteChiming in late and as a spoiled American. I could not go for that ;-)
ReplyDeleteHowever, it has been interesting to find out .... what other people do when the water is off.