Water infrastructure 'is being improved in Ghana'

4 January 2011

A number of projects are helping to improve the water infrastructure in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.

Some $1.6 billion (£1 billion) will have to be invested every 12 months for the next ten years in order to address the deficiencies in the current system, which sees only one-third of homes having drinking water piped into their homes.

Ventura Bengoechea, a World Bank water and sanitation expert, said the biggest challenge facing the country is improving sanitation, as an increasing number of residents move from rural areas into the nation's cities.

"You need to improve the operation and maintenance of public treatment plants, on-site household facilities and the communal toilet facilities," the specialist added.

The Export-Import Bank of China, which was established in 1994, recently gave a concessionary loan of $270 million for a development that will double the capacity of the Kpong intake and water treatment plant.

This will see the delivery of an extra 40 million gallons of water a day to Accra.
 

Category: Water