Date posted: 8th Sept 2010
AGRESSIVE rain water harvesting campaign is needed to increase the current low adoption level to complement urban water supply.
The adoption according to Mrs. Jemila Mashhod of Maple Consult is even easier considering the type of roofing systems in the urban areas.
Delivering a paper on rainwater harvesting as a complementary approach to improving water supply in Ghana, Mrs. Mashood stated that rainwater harvesting was currently insignificant (0.6%) even though the country has between 800 and 2,000 annually.
Making her presentation at the Water Session, Mrs. Mashood conceded that the initial high cost of constructing rain harvesting systems was a huge disincentive adding that “in the long term, the facility is cost effective as it can last for 50 years if well constructed”.
At the same session but speaking on the Degradation of Water Resources and the Effect of Drinking Water Treatment in Ghana, Mr. Evans Balaara stated that increasing pollution of primary water sources remained a huge challenge in the treatment of water.
Without stating real figures with regards to cost of treating water, Mr. Balaara stated “cost of treating water is still high due to pollution.”
Some of the systems, including the Weija/Kpong, Daboase/Sekyere Herman,Axim/Inchaban, Anyinam, Damongo/Yendi and Osino/Bunso/Kibi are frequently shut down due to poor water quality and dry weather.
By Naa Lamiley Bentil – Ghana Watsan Journalists Network
