THE Safe Water Network (SWN), a non-governmental organisation, has inaugurated a new water station expected to provide reliable potable water for more than 3,000 residents at Asikuma in the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region.
Over 400 households would also benefit from direct piped connections fitted with mobile-money enabled prepaid meters, making water access easier, affordable, and more efficient for the community.
The $900,000 project, fully funded by international philanthropists, is to be managed sustainably, with revenues retained in the community to cover operational costs, maintenance, and reserve funds.
Speaking at the ceremony here on Wednesday, the Country Director of SWN, Mr Charles Nimako, indicated that access to safe water translated into health for children, dignity for women, and productivity for men, and opportunity for the youth.
He explained that the project, which began in 2020, and completed in three phases, involved the laying of five kilometres of HDPE pipelines from the Volta Lake to Asikuma, through farmlands and along roadsides.
According to him, the project incorporated a solar-powered pumping system at the source due to the absence of electricity in the area, ensuring a sustainable and efficient supply of water.
“SWN’s approach went beyond simply providing water. We treat the water, bring it closer to homes, and make sure it is tested regularly, free from bacteria and other contaminants,” he said.
Mr Nimako expressed gratitude to the Asuogyaman District Assembly for the support in providing permits, traditional leaders for granting land for the solar farm and treatment station, farmers for allowing trenching across their lands, and Volta River Estates Limited for their partnership.
He further disclosed that the organisation currently operates 112 water stations across more than 150 communities in the country, reaching over 500,000 people.
In his remarks, the founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Kurt Soderlund, recalled that he first came to Ghana 15 years ago with the desire to help communities’ access to safe water.
He urged the people of Asikuma to sustain the facility by protecting the source of water from Lake Volta, ensuring its affordability and maintenance, and using it responsibly.
The District Chief Executive for Asuogyaman, Mr Godwin Bobobee, praised the intervention as a critical step towards improving sanitation and to reduce waterborne diseases in the area.
He also reminded the community, especially school children, of the importance of safe water in maintaining cleanliness and good health, urging residents to avoid waste, stressing that significant investment had gone into treating the water.
Mr Bobobee further called on traditional leaders to protect water bodies from illegal mining and pollution, noting that the Volta Lake and River remained among the cleanest water sources in the country.
He announced that the assembly planned to construct at least 15 mechanised boreholes, alongside small-town water projects, in selected communities
FROM CECILIA YADA LAGBA, ASIKUMA
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