Ministry encourages rainwater harvesting to augment national water supply
The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing has underscored the need for every house to have a rainwater harvesting system to augment the national water supply.
Advertisement
A deputy minister of the sector ministry, Mr Sampson Ahi, said the draft national housing policy, awaiting Cabinet’s approval, would enjoin all homes to have a rain-harvesting system.
Forum on rainwater harvesting
In his address at a forum on rainwater harvesting in Accra yesterday, Mr Ahi explained that rainwater harvesting would provide an alternative to efforts to make water accessible throughout the country.
He said the demand for potable water had increased drastically over the years, which demands that other sources of water be explored to facilitate adequate water supply.
Water supply in the urban areas is 63 per cent, while in the rural areas, it is 64 per cent.
According to Mr Ahi, the harvesting and use of rainwater would help the ministry widen the current water coverage by providing more communities and households with potable water.
He said with the availability of rainwater, the use and demand for potable water would be reduced.
“The rainwater could be used in the toilet systems, for irrigating flowers and backyard farms, cooking, cleaning and other domestic chores and in offices, instead of the potable water,” he added.
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources,Nii Osah Mills, said rainwater harvesting was not a new phenomenon. He added that the traditional method required improvement and standardisation.
According to him, all public institutions, particularly the ministries, departments and agencies ( MDAs), needed to imbibe the practice to reduce the huge water bills they incurred.
Local components.
In his presentation on rainwater harvesting, an official of the Water Research Institute, Dr Barnabas Amisigo, called on the sector ministry to facilitate the local production of the rainwater harvesting system components to reduce the cost of the system in Ghana.
He said currently, all components of the system were imported from Australia.
He said a person, a household or an institution would have to pay between GH¢ 8,200 and GH¢14,000 to get any of the three types of rainwater harvesting systems.
He said rainwater should not be stored for too long.It should be the first option of water use apart from drinking, if available.
“The institute is currently undertaking a research to determine how long rainwater could be stored, “ he said.
According to him, the practice could also become another source of job creation because artisans would be trained to install the system.
Writer’s email Doreen.andoh@graphic.com.gh
{youtube}https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lun_yF5mtc&feature=youtu.be{/youtube}