CWSA Hints Of Privatising Community Water Systems

The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) has hinted it is considering engaging the services of private operators to manage Ghana’s small town water and sanitation systems (STWSS) in various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across the country. 

Chief Executive Officer of CWSA, Clement Bugase, who made the announcement while on a familiarisation visit to some MMDAs in the Northern Region, said he believed privatising STWSS would ensure proper sustainability of the facilities as well as their prudent management.

According to him, the Community Water and Sanitation Management Teams (CWSMTs) which had oversight responsibility of managing and ensuring the sustainability of STWSS over the years, had not been impressive in the management of the facilities, resulting into the breakdown of some STWSS in most communities across the country.

He was however convinced that with the support of the MMDAs by re-training of the CWSMTs as well as ensuring proper monitoring and supervision, there would be effective management and sustainability of the STWSS.

CWSA among other things provide technical support to MMDAs to promote the sustainability of safe water supply and related sanitation services in rural communities and small towns; and enable the Assemblies encourage the active involvement of communities, especially women, in the design, planning, construction and community management of water and sanitation projects.

CWSA also formulate strategies for the effective mobilization of resolution for the execution of safe water development and related sanitation programmes; as well as encourage private sector participation in the provision of safe drinking water supply and related sanitation service.

Mr. Clement Bugase, CEO, CWSA

Accompanied by a nine-member team of the Board of the CWSA, Mr. Bugase visited the Kalende Water Treatment Plant, Salaga Water Distribution Centre, the Kpembe Dam and ongoing work on the Kpalbe Small Town Water Project all in East Gonja District. 

The familiarization visit was part of a regional tour by the Board of the CWSA to inspect rural water projects of the Agency in order to ascertain progress of work and how best to increase the water accessibility rate in those MMDAs.

The visit also offered the CWSA Board an opportunity to share some field experiences of the performance of the STWSS with district authorities, chiefs and opinion leaders as well as Water and Sanitation Management Teams. 

He also revealed that the CWSA had finalized a process of getting funding from Government for the expansion and rehabilitation work to begin on the Salaga and Walewale Small Town Water Systems. Mr. Clement Bugase urged all MMDAs in the country to step up their oversight role of ensuring that CWSMTs adhered to the regulatory act of the CWSA.

Nana Danso Agyei II, Board Chairman of the CWSA and Paramount Chief of Nkasem Traditional Area, entreated chiefs to take keen interest in the management and sustainability of the water systems in their localities, since they had a vital role to play in the STWSS. He also bemoaned the wanton pollution of water bodies by some citizens and urged the chiefs to protect them against pollution.

He acknowledged that the Board was much aware of the water crisis in Kpembi and Salaga and assured the chiefs and people of the two areas that efforts were being made to resolve it as soon as possible. 

According to Nana Danso Agyei II, the Salaga Water Expansion Project halted due to financial constraints. “Now funds are available to continue work and when completed it is expected to have a tank capacity of 80 meters cube and will serve an estimated population of 4,463 in the East Gonja District”.