Providing everyone with safe drinking water is a moral imperative. Yet, sub-Saharan Africa seems unable to achieve “safe drinking water for all” by 2030. This sad situation calls for a closer examination of the water supply options for both rural and urban populations. Commonly, two main aspects are considered: (1) behavioural responses to available or potential water supply options, and (2) socio-economic acceptability. These aspects determine the feasibility and the affordability of bringing safe drinking water as a basic good and human right to everyone. There is a broad consensus that achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6.1 is mostly a financial issue, especially in low-income settings. This communication challenges this view as water is available everywhere and affordable treatment options are well-known. It considers the decentralized water supply model as a reference or standard approach in low-income settings rather than as an alternative. Here, the medium-sized city of Bangangté in the western region of Cameroon is used to demonstrate that universal safe drinking water will soon be possible. In fact, during the colonial period, the residences of the elite and the main institutions, including the administrative quarter, churches, and hospital, have been supplied with clean water from various local sources. All that is needed is to consider everyone as important or accept safe drinking water as human right. First, we present a historical background on water supply in the colonial period up to 1980. Second, the drinking water supply systems and water demand driven by population growth are discussed. Finally, a hybrid model for the achieving of universal access to clean drinking water, and preconditions for its successful implementation, are presented. Overall, this communication calls for a shift from safe drinking water supply approaches dominated by centralized systems, and presents a transferable hybrid model to achieve universal clean drinking water.

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A baseline study involving analyses of subsurface water samples from the Mingoa river basin (longitude: 11°30′E; latitude: 3°52′N) in migmatitic complex in Yaounde Cameroon (central Africa) was carried out to assess their suitability for drinking, domestic and agricultural purposes. Study results show that pH is ranged between 5.1≤ pH ≤ 5.8 and then, induces acidic waters. Groundwater samples are generally characterized by low conductivity values, of which 100% are within the range (55 ≤ EC ≤ 1500 µS/cm). The mean values of the major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) and anions (SO₄^2– , Cl^–, HCO₃^– ) are all within the World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Two of the springs sampled have nitrate (NO₃^– ) contamination. Even though contamination and acidic waters exist in some of the springs, the majority of the springs are excellent for agricultural and domestic purposes. Assessment of the groundwater for agricultural irrigation revealed two main categories. These are low salinity-low sodicity (C1-S1) and medium salinity-low sodicity (C2-S1), using the US Salinity Laboratory (USSL) classification scheme. As much as all of the samples plotted in the “excellent to good” and “good to permissible” categories on the Wilcox diagram. The groundwater in the study area may therefore be regarded as good for irrigation activities. The major identifiable geochemical processes responsible for the evolution of the various ions are mineral weathering, chemical reactions and anthropogenic activities

Ndé Division in West-Cameroon is facing with water supply although many attempts of restoring existing SCANWATER facilities by Bangangté Municipality. In order to address the issue, we assess the exploitable pumping flow rate of catchment aquifers and its hydraulic properties by using Jacob and Theis method, and define protection zones with Hoffman and Lillich method. It emerges that the hydraulic conductivity of aquifer is in the order of 10 −4 m/sec, transmissivity varies from 10 −4 to 10 −6 m 2 /sec. Aquifer pumping flow rate (Q) varies between 1.5 and 10.5 m 3 /h. In volcanic rocks, aquifer is more productive (4.5 ≤ Q ≤ 10.5 m 3 /h). Transfer time of pollutants to aquifer varies from 3 to 56 days depending on rock-types and groundwater slope (0.03 -0.13 m/m). Furthermore, 113,624 m and 1123 m are radius to be implemented for a better protection of groundwater against any form of pollutant.

La présente étude traite de la vulnérabilité des nappes phréatiques et de la proposition d’un périmètre de protection dans le bassin versant de la Mingoa, menacées par les foyers de pollution notamment les latrines traditionnelles représentant 83 % des ouvrages d’assainissement individuel. Ces nappes phréatiques sont fortement sollicitées par près de 63 % des ménages non raccordés au réseau SNEC (LESEAU, 2004). Le coefficient d’occupation des sols est de 90 %. La méthode repose sur les enquêtes, les observations directes et les analyses en laboratoire. Les résultats indiquent que l’épuration totale en zone non saturée selon la méthode Rehse est effectuée à plus de 3 mètres, les eaux souterraines sont de mauvaise qualité microbiologique. Deux zones de protection sont définies en tenant compte du contexte sociodémographique, pédologique et environnemental.The present study examines the vulnerability of groundwater within the Mingoa’s watershed, threatened by the pollution sources namely the traditional pit toilets representing 83 % of the sanitation work (LESEAU, 2004) and the proposal of a protection zone for that area. Groundwaters are highly demanded by about 63 % of homes unconnected to the SNEC network (LESEAU, 2004). The land use rate is 90 %. The methodological approach lies on surveys, direct observation and the laboratory analyses. The results indicate that the total cleansing on the unsaturated zone according to the Rehse method is effective at 3 meters; groundwaters are of bad microbiological quality. Two protection zones are defined taking into account the sociodemographic, pedologic and environmental context