By Dennis Peprah
Mim, (A/R), Feb. 03, GNA – The Government has invested GHC10,517,852 into the operationalisation of the Mim Water Supply System in the Ahafo Region to provide potable drinking water to the people.
Dr. Freda Prempeh, Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources who announced this said the scope of work carried out to bring the water system to optimal operation included mechanisation of two boreholes with a transmission line of 550m, construction of pump house and solar farm, laying of 19,300 m of distribution pipe network and installation of pipe fittings.
Other components comprised the Water System Management Office, rehabilitation of 20 standpipes, construction of 10 new standpipes and repair of two high-level tanks.
Speaking at the inauguration of the facility held at Mim in the Asunafo North Municipality, Dr. Prempeh, also the Member of Parliament for Tano North, said the Government had initiated several water programmes and projects under the “Water for All Agenda” to ensure the sustainable delivery of water services to the doorsteps of all citizens.
“The focus of the Government is to ensure that all regions across the country are provided with adequate, safe, affordable, and reliable basic water services, practice safe sanitation and hygiene by the year 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Our strategic goal as a country is to use a multi-faceted approach, with emphasis on governance and sector institutional strengthening to accelerate access to equitable WASH services throughout the country,” she stated.
Dr. Prempeh explained that several projects within the rural water space had been initiated with some completed, while others were at various stages of completion and development.
The Phase three of the five districts water supply project was completed and was inaugurated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on July 3, 2023.
It has improved the supply of safe water to a total population of 234,411 in 424 communities in five districts – Central Tongu, North Tongu, Ho West, Adaklu and Agortime Ziope in the Volta Region.
Dr. Prempeh announced that the rehabilitation and expansion of the Yeji Water Supply System was also completed, saying, that of the Ejura, Goaso, Wulensi, Bole, Asankragwa, Sefwi-Wiaso and Tumu Water Supply Systems had also been packaged for rehabilitation and expansion, adding that currently, contractors had been selected to undertake those works. She said the government was also undertaking reforms in the rural water sub-sector to ensure the
sustainable delivery of potable water services to people living in small towns and rural communities.
One of the key activities being carried out was to transform the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) from a facilitator to a rural water utility to help overcome the remaining service delivery challenges that persisted in the rural communities.
The CWSA took over managing about 177 pipe water systems in 150 districts and invested in rehabilitation and expansion of those water systems to ensure continuous water services delivery.
Dr.Prempeh said the nation could not enhance delivery of WASH services if it failed to address the sustainability of the interventions government, development partners and the private sector were providing.
She emphasised that sustainability was key to long-term success of WASH services delivery and indicated the government’s commitment to continuously invest in the provision of new WASH infrastructure as well as ensuring the maintenance of existing ones.
As the government commits to living up to her social responsibility to the good people of the country, the Sector Minister said it was also imperative for stakeholders, especially domestic consumers in beneficiary communities within the catchment area of the water supply facility to cooperate with the CWSA to ensure that the infrastructure was duly maintained and that the source of the water was also not contaminated through human activities.
By doing so, she said the facility would be able to deliver the required service as envisaged, saying that “it is very sad to note some of our people demand for the provision of new facilities when they have not made efforts to sustain old ones, which have been provided to them.”
The Mim Water Supply System was constructed in 2003 under the IDA-SRWSP Project and handed over to Mim community Water System Management Team (WSMT).
It had six boreholes, two 200m3 high-level reinforced concrete tanks, two dedicated transformers, 2.8km transmission network, 17.78km distribution network, 45 public standpipes and eight bulk meters.
The system under the management of the WSMT broke down in 2009 and all the 45 public standpipes were damaged, distribution network broken down, a borehole decommissioned and leakage in the overhead concrete tanks.
Additionally, the water from the various boreholes is high in iron and manganese concentration beyond acceptable limits, making the water unwholesome.
However, the CWSA took over the system in 2018, and had since rehabilitated the existing five boreholes together with their pump houses and replaced all the pumps, one being photovoltaic. Also, two new boreholes have been drilled and constructed to augment the production capacity of the system to improve the quality of the water, two Iron Removal Plants each with a 40m3/hour capacity have been procured and installed.
Notwithstanding the works already undertaken, the distribution network which was in a complete state of disrepair had to be reconstructed anew before the water system could be operationalised.
GNA