Characterization of the aquifers of the Bangui urban area,Central African Republic,as an alternative drinking water supply resource |
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Authors: | CL Djebebe-Ndjiguim A Denis E Foto G Moloto-a-Kenguemba H Celle-Jeanton |
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Institution: | 1. Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Laboratoire d’Hydrogéologie, Université de Corse Pascal Paoli, Campus Grimaldi, BP 52, F-20250 Corte, France;2. CNRS, UMR 6134, SPE, F-20250 Corte, France;3. Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire d’Hydrosciences Lavoisier (LHL), Université de Bangui, BP 908, Avenue des Matyrs, Bangui, Central African Republic;4. Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5295 I2M – Génie Civil et Environnemental,F-33405 Talence, France;5. Faculté des Sciences, Laboratoire d’Hydrosciences Lavoisier (LHL), Université de Bangui, BP 908, Avenue des Matyrs, Bangui, Central African Republic;6. Laboratoire Magmas et Volcans, Clermont Université, Université Blaise Pascal,F-63038 Clermont-Ferrand, France;7. CNRS, UMR 6524, LMV,F-63038 Clermont-Ferrand, France;8. IRD, R 163, LMV,F-63038 Clermont-Ferrand, France |
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Abstract: | AbstractThis paper presents the results of a survey carried out in 2010 aimed at evaluating the type and quality of the groundwater resources of the Bangui region of the Central African Republic. This work is the first step towards the development of groundwater resources in the Central African Republic in order to find alternatives to direct pumping from the Ubangi River and provide the population of the suburbs with a safer drinking water supply from deep boreholes. By combining both geological and hydrogeochemical approaches, it appears that the geology of Bangui is favourable to the development of a secure and sustainable water supply from groundwater provided that the conditions of exploitation would be constrained by the local authorities. The deep Precambrian carbonate aquifers, known as the Bimbo and Fatima formations, are identified as target resources in view of the relatively good quality of their water from the chemical point of view, and the semi-confined structure of the aquifers that prevents the mixing with shallow aquifers that are already strongly affected by domestic and industrial pollution. The main difficulty in terms of exploitation is to appreciate the depth of the resource and the more or less fractured/palaeo-karstified type of the porosity.Editor Z.W. KundzewiczCitation Djebebe-Ndjiguim, C.L., Huneau, F., Denis, A., Foto, E., Moloto-a-Kenguemba, G., Celle-Jeanton, H., Garel, E., Jaunat, J., Mabingui, J., and Le Coustumer, P., 2013. Characterization of the aquifers of the Bangui urban area, Central African Republic, as an alternative drinking water supply resource. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (8), 1760–1778. |
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Keywords: | groundwater hydrochemistry hydrogeology carbonate aquifer drinking water supply target resource urban pollution Central African Republic Africa |
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