Optimisation of Water Consumption in Textile Dyeing Processes in a Sahelian Context: Industrial Audit, Scenario Analysis and Techno-Economic Assessment

Abstract

Water scarcity is one of the most serious constraints on industrial development in the Sahel. Textile dyeing is among the largest industrial users of water, yet in low-income West African countries its water management is poorly documented and rarely optimised. This study reports an industrial audit of water use in a representative Burkinabe textile dyeing plant, together with mass-balance modelling and a scenario analysis of three optimisation pathways: (1) low liquor-ratio (LLR) dyeing technology, (2) LLR combined with 50% internal effluent recycling, and (3) full process optimisation that adds advanced effluent treatment to LLR and recycling. Baseline water intensity is 183 L/kg of textile, against an EU best-practice benchmark of 45 L/kg. Scenario 2 achieves a 45% water reduction (from 1100 to 605 m 3 /day), corresponding to a water intensity of about 101 L/kg; Scenario 3 reaches a 57% reduction (79 L/kg). Estimated payback periods are reported in Section 4.3. A multi-criteria evaluation indicates that Scenario 2 gives the best balance of water savings, economic viability, and technical feasibility for small-to-medium enterprises in the Sahel. The results offer a practical roadmap for water stewardship in West African textile manufacturing.