This means that only 3.9 million Ghanaians have access to drinking water from an improved water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination – the standard SDG requirement.

$11.3bn investment need in 8 years
[contextly_sidebar id=”2ushAMmQmckQY5hq4mWA01kizIpWp31H”]To address the situation and meet the water SDG, Ghana will have to invest over $11.3 billion ($11,352 million) from this year to 2030.

$946m each year
This means that each year, Ghana has to invest $946 million between 2018 and 2025.
Analysis of data from the Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) for Water Supply and Sanitation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF), reflected in the 2017 Ghana Sector Review by Safe Water Network, paints a disturbing picture.

The JMP has been monitoring global progress since 1990 and is responsible for reporting on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets and indicators related to WASH.

Current $114m annual investment inadequate
With current sector funding at $114 million a year, this leaves a significant funding gap to achieve universal access.

Basic coverage short of SDG benchmarks
To provide basic coverage for all by 2025 short of SDG requirements, as outlined in Ghana’s Water Sector Strategic Development Plan (2012-2025), requires a capital investment of $327 million a year between now and 2025.

This will translate into $2.6 billion ($2, 616million), covering 2018 to 2025.

Safely managed water – 7.3m (7,363,645) population
The data reveals that over 7.3m (7,363,645) Ghanaians get their drinking water from an improved water source that is located on premises, available when needed and free from faecal and priority chemical contamination.

Basic water – 13.9m (13,961,060) population
In the same vein, 13.9m (13,961,060) Ghanaians receive drinking water from an improved source, where provided collection time is not more than 30 minutes for a round trip, including queuing.

Limited water – 2.9m (2, 921,704) population
According to the analysis, 2.9m (2,921,704) people in Ghana depend on drinking water from an improved source, for which collection time exceeds 30 minutes for a round trip, including queuing.

Unimproved – 1.4m (1,443,469) population

The compiled data shows that 1.4m (1,443,469) Ghanaians get their drinking water from an unprotected dug well or unprotected spring.

Surface water – 1.7m (1, 720, 014) population
Ghanaians who get their drinking water directly from a river, dam, lake, pond, stream, canal or irrigation canal are 1.7m (1,720,014) in number.

GWCL begins rationing water
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has begun rationing water in most parts of the country as a result of the dry season, environmental degradation and pollution of water bodies by illegal miners.

Those activities, the company said, had derailed its efforts at extracting enough water for treatment, accounting for the inadequate supply of water to consumers.

With the exception of the Eastern and Ashanti regions, all the regions have been affected by the rationing, with the Western Region being the worst affected.

The GWCL advised the public to immediately report all burst pipes and leakages to the nearest GWCL district offices, customer service centres, fault offices or via the GWCL customer application.

Oil companies in Ghana import water from Ivory Coast
International oil companies in the Jubilee field have resorted to importing potable water from Cote d’Ivoire and Benin due to the inability of the Ghana Water Company (GWC) in the Western Region to meet water supply demands.

The GWC has said its inability to supply adequate water to communities in its catchment area is due partly to the activities of galamsey operators.

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Source: Elvis DARKO/The Finder

The post Ghana needs to invest $11.3bn in 8-yrs to close water deficit appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Residents of Adentan and other areas in Accra which have challenges with water supply usually patronize these private takers who sell water they obtain from mostly unknown sources.

The situation has placed people who buy water from private water distributors at risk.

There have been suggestions that the water from these tankers is taken from wells and other unhygienic locations for sale to the unsuspecting public.

[contextly_sidebar id=”7shjgZHQc7i2rYoVNGCcTOFvsWnD2feZ”]However, the GWCL, which is responsible for ensuring the supply of potable water to all urban communities, has said it cannot control the private distributors.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, the Head of Communications at GWCL, Stanley Martey said that although they are unable to control the activities of the operators of these private tankers, they have tried to sensitise them on the need to acquire the water they sell from hygienic sources.

“What we do is to interact with them to know the essence of getting water from the right source but as to whether some of them are going by the education we give them that we cannot tell and we cannot enforce. And water is such that if there are germs or unwanted bacteria in the water, it will be very difficult to tell with the naked eye.”

“So we let them know the essence of getting water from the right source and the essence of getting your tankers disinfected regularly. So we are in touch with all the tanker association and we do that on regular basis,” he said.

When asked if there is an approved source for the tankers to get water from, the GWCL spokesperson said it should be “from a Ghana Water company approved hydrant or approved point” but admitted they don’t have control over where the tankers get their water from.

“That is why I’m saying that we do not have control over that so with that we only educate them on the essence of doing the right thing.”

GWCL to ration water as dry season affects supply
Mr. Martey made the remark on the back of the ongoing water rationing in parts of the country.

According to the Ghana Water Company Limited, they are experiencing some challenges with water supply in Accra and most parts of the country due to the onset of the dry season, and that “the situation has led to intermittent water supply in most cities and towns in the country.”

A statement released by the management of GWCL last week advised the general public to be measured in their consumption of water while the Water Company addresses the challenges.

“It must be emphasized that during this season, a number of consumers resort to the use of treated water for keeping lawns green, for commercial washing of vehicles etc. The dry season is on and consumers with greater dependence on rainwater have also compounded the problem by taking to treated water use. These practices ease the pressures in the pipelines thereby causing low pressure and no flow in some areas, especially areas located in high elevations.”
“Management of GWCL is very much concerned about the serious impact of the water situation in the country and wish to assure the general public that, the company is working assiduously to undertake the necessary steps aimed at improving the water delivery in the Country,” the statement added.

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By: Eugenia Tenkorang/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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