Mé drinking water plant in Ivory Coast commissioned

The government of Ivory Coast has commissioned the Mé drinking water plant. The country’s Prime Minister Patrick Achi officiated the ceremony.

Construction of the Mé drinking water plant began in 2018, in the sub-prefecture of Brofodoumé, located in Abidjan. The project was implemented by the French company Veolia in collaboration with PFO Africa, an Ivorian construction and public works company, aims to enhance the availability of drinking water in the northern areas of Abidjan, including Cocody, Abobo, Youpougon, and the east.

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Mé drinking water plant

This new water plant is a significant step towards meeting the growing demand for clean drinking water and improving the quality of life for millions of people in Abidjan. It will supply 240,000 m3 of drinking water per day to over 2 million people in Abidjan, particularly in the councils of Cocody, Abobo, and Youpougon.

The water treatment process at the Mé plant involves pumping water from the La Mé River through an intake located on a one-hectare site. The treated water is then transported via a 28 km, 1,400-diameter pipeline to two water towers, each with a capacity of 5,000 m³. With the completion of this project, an additional 2 million people in Abidjan now have access to clean drinking water, supplementing the existing supply of 640,000 m3 per day in the city as of 2019 (compared to 350,000 m3 per day in 2011).

The Mé drinking water project required a substantial investment of US $351M, funded by the State of Ivory Coast and its partners, including the West African Development Bank (BOAD). In 2019, the joint development finance institution of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) granted a loan to the Ivorian government for this project.