A TOTAL of 450 communities across four regions are due to benefit from a peri-urban and rural water supply project.
Cabinet has already approved the implementation of the peri-urban and rural water supply project for the communities.
Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, made the disclosure to journalists on Sunday in Accra during the Information Ministry’s biweekly press briefing.
According to the minister, “the project will provide clean drinking water to these peri-urban and rural locations across the following regions: Ashanti, Volta, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions using an advanced UK technology.”
He indicated that “the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and the Community Water and Sanitation Agency in conjunction with Aqua Africa Limited, a UK Private Sector Entity have been working together on a market-based approach to provide sustainable clean, sterile drinking water to peri-urban and rural communities in Ghana.”
He noted that “Government is embarking on this project as part of measures to attain the Sustainable Development Goal 6 on clean water and sanitation for all and to cater for the underserved hard to reach rural population.”
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah explained that “it is also to improve strategy in enhancing the delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities.”
“The concept of transformation is to employ innovative technology and financing methods to generate revenue for maintenance and future expansion projects.”
“The project will be executed within 18 month and comprise a cashless payment and data collection system integrated within it to ensure that revenue is easily captured, managed and secured in advance, of all water distribution.”
“The implementation of this project,” according to him, “will maximise social and health benefits such as clean, safe and reliable water supply, improvement in school attendance and reduction in water-borne diseases.”
He added that “it will also improve access to reliable potable water supply throughout the year, with 225,000 people taken out of water poverty from the first project.”
BY Melvin Tarlue