Option for simple on-farm water treatment: A case study of the Agrivoltaic project in Katibougou, Mali

Abstract

In Katibougou, Mali, the Agrivoltaic project offers a viable path toward sustainable development. Nonetheless, the effectiveness of these programs depends on guaranteeing the purity of the water sources used on farms. This study explores various options for purifying on-farm water in the framework of Katibougou's Agrivoltaic project. Significant issues with water management were found, such as non-functional boreholes, insufficient supervision of water use, and low water quality 50% of the community site's visited boreholes had a strange color. The Agrivoltaic Project (APV) site and the community site in Katibougou were compared for water quality, and the results indicated that there were notable differences in turbidity levels between the two sites. In general, samples from the APV project site had lower turbidity than those from the community site, which reached 20 NTU.In a similar vein, both locations satisfied FAO requirements for electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, pH, and alkalinity, suggesting that they were suitable for irrigation. Potassium contents, however, showed significant variations, with higher levels ranging from 5.25 to 16.65 mg/l found in both the APV project site samples and the community site borehole sample. Treatment recommendations included potassium management, pH correction, and sediment filtration.The study makes several recommendations to address these issues, including better security measures, oversight mechanisms for water usage, regular borehole maintenance, investment in on-farm water treatment infrastructure, community awareness campaigns about water conservation, and cooperation between local government agencies, stakeholders, and academic institutions for additional research