Ebenezer SABUTEY
Government of Ghana has securedUS$180 million loan from the United States Exim Bank for the supply and installation of equipment for the rehabilitation of water supply systems across the country.
The project is expected to improve the efficiency of urban water delivery in all the ten regions of the country and due diligence of the systems has been conducted for supply and installation to begin next year.
This was revealed by the Minister for Water Resources Works and Housing Collins Dauda in Accra, when he took his turn at the Meet the Press series to address the nation on some challenges facing the sector.
He said the continuous use of old and obsolete equipment by the Ghana Water Company Limited, GWCL hampers the efficient delivery of potable water to the people of Ghana, citing the water treatment plant at Yendi and Kpong which were built in 1953 and 1965 respectively as a case study.
Again, according to the Minister, population growth has made it difficult for such water treatment plants to meet the current demand.
“A nationwide audit which was carried out as part of the strategic investment programme by the company has established the urgent need to rehabilitate most of the water supply systems” he noted.
According to the Minister, records from the GWCL shows that by the end of 2012, the urban water coverage had improved from 58.5% to 63%, an increase of 4.5% within four years.
Rural water coverage also improved from 56.5% to 64% representing approximately 11.5 million of the population living in rural communities and small towns in Ghana, showing an increase of 7.5%.
The national rural water target is 76% coverage by the end of 2015 and full coverage (100%) by 2025.
The country’s needs for raw water for domestic and commercial uses are largely dependent on surface and underground water.
However, most of Ghana’s rivers and water bodies which used to be perennial are deteriorating in terms of quantity and quality.
The degradation of vegetative cover at headwaters and along the banks of many river systems and other surface water bodies can be attributed to increase in human settlements, urbanization, poor agriculture practices and uncontrolled logging and mining activities.
Water supply to the Greater Accra Metropolitan areas forms about 60% of the total supply of potable water in Ghana.
Government of Ghana has securedUS$180 million loan from the United States Exim Bank for the supply and installation of equipment for the rehabilitation of water supply systems across the country.
The project is expected to improve the efficiency of urban water delivery in all the ten regions of the country and due diligence of the systems has been conducted for supply and installation to begin next year.
This was revealed by the Minister for Water Resources Works and Housing Collins Dauda in Accra, when he took his turn at the Meet the Press series to address the nation on some challenges facing the sector.
He said the continuous use of old and obsolete equipment by the Ghana Water Company Limited, GWCL hampers the efficient delivery of potable water to the people of Ghana, citing the water treatment plant at Yendi and Kpong which were built in 1953 and 1965 respectively as a case study.
Again, according to the Minister, population growth has made it difficult for such water treatment plants to meet the current demand.
“A nationwide audit which was carried out as part of the strategic investment programme by the company has established the urgent need to rehabilitate most of the water supply systems” he noted.
According to the Minister, records from the GWCL shows that by the end of 2012, the urban water coverage had improved from 58.5% to 63%, an increase of 4.5% within four years.
Rural water coverage also improved from 56.5% to 64% representing approximately 11.5 million of the population living in rural communities and small towns in Ghana, showing an increase of 7.5%.
The national rural water target is 76% coverage by the end of 2015 and full coverage (100%) by 2025.
The country’s needs for raw water for domestic and commercial uses are largely dependent on surface and underground water.
However, most of Ghana’s rivers and water bodies which used to be perennial are deteriorating in terms of quantity and quality.
The degradation of vegetative cover at headwaters and along the banks of many river systems and other surface water bodies can be attributed to increase in human settlements, urbanization, poor agriculture practices and uncontrolled logging and mining activities.
Water supply to the Greater Accra Metropolitan areas forms about 60% of the total supply of potable water in Ghana.
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