The Government of the Republic of Guinea, with financial support from the Islamic Development Bank (ISDB), is implementing an ambitious sanitation project in Conakry, the Guinean capital.

Objective: Improving the living environment through sustainable sanitation

This urban sanitation project aims to sustainably improve the health conditions of the population of Conakry by modernizing wastewater and fecal sludge treatment infrastructure. At the heart of this initiative is the complete rehabilitation of the Fecal Sludge Treatment Plant (STBV) in Sonfonia, located in the Urban Commune of Ratoma.

Modernization of the Sonfonia STBV: capacity increased to 250 m³/day

Implantée sur une superficie de 2,35 hectares, la station de Sonfonia bénéficiait autrefois d’une capacité de traitement limitée à 50 m³/jour. Hors service depuis 2012, cette installation ne répondait plus aux besoins croissants de la ville. Le Ministère de l’Administration du Territoire et de la Décentralisation (MATD), à travers l’Agence Nationale de l’Assainissement et de la Salubrité Publique (ANASP), a lancé un chantier d’envergure pour réhabiliter et étendre la STBV à une capacité de 250 m³/jour.

Un Système écologique : Le lagunage naturel

The natural lagooning process, recognized for its sustainability and ease of operation, was chosen. This choice is based on three fundamental principles:

Reuse of existing infrastructure to limit environmental impact and costs;

Operational reliability, thanks to a simplified design and low use of electromechanical equipment;

Operational flexibility, allowing maintenance without interruption of the treatment process.

Work in progress: Strategic infrastructure under construction

The consortium CONCEPT-CIRA, which carried out the studies of the installations, is currently in charge of supervising the works, which include:

Construction of a sludge reception and screening facility;

Abandonment of old basins in favor of new settling and anaerobic basins;

Installation of a pumping station and 8 sludge drying beds

Redevelopment of optional and maturation pools;

Creation of a storage area for dried sludge (420 m²);

Development of access routes and internal networks (water, electricity, sanitation).

Progress status: 90% completed as of June 15, 2025

Launched on January 5, 2024, the construction site experienced some delays due to local tensions and the partial occupation of the site. Thanks to the intervention of the authorities and the Project Coordinator, the situation is now under control. An additional 3-month period has been granted, setting the completion date for June 30, 2025, and provisional acceptance for July 30, 2025.

Main achievements to date:

Boundary wall (615 ml), administrative buildings and concrete road (485 ml);

Treatment basins (anaerobic, decanters, reception) in the final phase;

8 drying beds and storage area almost completed;

Rehabilitation of existing basins with geomembrane;

Planting trees to reduce odor nuisances.