By Joyce Kantam Kolamong
Global Communities, under the USAID-funded ‘Enhancing Water Sanitation and Hygiene, WASH, activity’, has commissioned two Small Town Water Supply Systems at Nawulugu and Nanton-Kurugu in the Gushegu municipality and Nanton districts of the Northern region.
The construction of the water systems is part of a larger plan to provide potable water access under the project which started in 2021.
The gesture aims to address the water needs of the two communities by providing sustainable and safe drinking water to underserved communities.
At the commissioning of the water system at Nawulugu, Country Director of Global Communities, Alberto Wilde, said the water systems represent more than just infrastructure as they signify progress and a better quality of life for the residents.
Access to clean water is a longstanding issue for residents at Nawulugu and Nanton-Kurugu and the burden often falls on the shoulders of women who will spend the bulk of each day fetching water from distant sources.
This meant less time for family, less time for personal growth and less time for community development. With the provision of the water systems, residents can now heave a sigh of relief. With an impressive storage capacity of 100,000 liters, the Nawulugu Water Supply System at Gushegu has two boreholes that yield a combined daily production of 415.68m².
The pumps are powered by solar energy and a grid that ensures reliability and sustainability. It has transmission and distribution lines of 18,738m comprising HDPE pipes of various sizes, to ensure widespread water access and consistent water availability.
It also comes with seven public standpipes connected to 100 households and chlorination for water treatment. The interesting aspect of this water system is that it is extended to three other communities namely Mang, Tindang and Gbandi.
Similarly, at Nanton-Kurugu in the Nanton district, the water system comprises two boreholes, with a daily production of 271.68m³. Powered by both solar energy and the grid, the system includes a total of 9,250m of transmission and distribution lines, a reinforced concrete tank, 100 household connections, 4 public standpipes, and chlorination for water treatment, all working together to ensure reliable water supply and sanitation.
Some of the residents indicated that the water problem in the community was a daily hurdle and commended USAID and partners for the gesture.
“Sometimes we do go for a mile or two to get water, if you go in the morning, you may come in the evening or the next morning, sometime we sleep there just to get water. And sometimes the water will not be potable so we normally put alum, and we were getting Guinea worm and our children if they drink their teeth become brown “, stressed Sulemana Margaret, a resident of Nawulugu.
Country Director of Global Communities, Alberto Wilde, . He said with the provision of accessible water, parents and school children will now spend less time in search of water and live a dignified life.
“These water systems represent more than just infrastructure; they signify hope, progress, and a better quality of life for the residents of Nawuhugu and Nanton Kurugu. With clean and safe drinking water now readily available, families can enjoy improved health outcomes, children can attend school regularly without the burden of water collection, and communities can thrive and prosper”.
Mr. Wilde underscored the need for commitment to address the water needs of underserved communities, “As we celebrate this milestone today, let us also reaffirm our commitment to continue working together to address the challenges of water accessibility and sanitation in Ghana. Together, we can build a future where every individual has access to this basic human right”.
Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, said the government is committed to providing potable water to the citizenry by 2030 and commended private partners for complementing the effort of the government in that regard.
The USAID Mission Director, Kimberly Rosen, indicated that the initiative marks a significant expansion of access to clean water and sanitation facilities, furthering the organization’s commitment to improving the quality of life in underserved regions.
She said, “over the next few years, USAID will provide safe water access to Ghana’s half million people, the two water systems we are honouring today is part of those efforts”.
