Use water wisely in wake of COVID-19

We observed World Water Day last Sunday, a day designated by the United Nations to focus global attention on the importance of water.

The day is very significant, in that it helps us take stock of what we have done in the space of water provision for all.

However, we cannot fathom why the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) marked the day on such a low key in Ghana.

In our view, the ministry and its agencies should have capitalised on the celebration of the day to drum home the need for people to use water wisely, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Daily Graphic is of the view that while the pandemic is raging in the country, a lot of people are misinformed on how to keep themselves safe. As such it is during such celebrations that information vans can be deployed into communities to educate the masses to let those who lack appropriate information get access to it.

On March 12, 2020, Ghana recorded its first case of the COVID-19, which has wreaked havoc on many countries. Significantly, one of the most effective ways in which people can stay safe is regular washing of hands with soap under running water.

On March 16, the management of the GWCL, in a release, assured consumers of water flow, although it said it was
experiencing some challenges with water supply in Accra and most cities “during this high-demand period”.

It, therefore, advised consumers to increase storage of water while it flowed through their taps, so that in the event of low pressure or no flow, consumers could fall on what they had stored.

The company also advised consumers who used treated water to keep their lawns green, for commercial washing of vehicles, among others, to desist from that practice, since it reduced the pressure in the pipelines, thereby causing low pressure and no flow in some areas, especially areas located in high elevations.

This year’s World Water Day, celebrated on the theme: ‘Water and climate change’, addressed the issue of water security in the context of an ever-changing environment where climate change takes centre stage, which was apt.

According to the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Ghana had made great strides in the provision of basic drinking water services for the population.

the population with access to improved drinking water sources increased from 78 per cent in 2017 to 81 per cent in 2019. But we believe that there is the need for the GWCL to expand its facilities to cater for more of the people.

Relatedly, to mark World Water Day, the sector ministry, in a statement, said “a fundamental issue that confronts us as a nation is that our water ecosystems are not in a healthy state. Illegal mining (galamsey), improper liquid and solid waste disposal, among others, have affected the quality of water bodies”.

The Daily Graphic, therefore, agrees with the call by the GWCL to consumers to use water wisely as the global epidemic (COVID-19) rages on.

We believe that there is the need for all hands to be on deck in the responsible use of water.

This will go a long way to ensure availability of water, which is needed at this critical period to help control the spread of COVID-19 in the country.