It has always been said that water is life, and as everyone has the right to life, access to potable drinking water makes it a basic human right. According to medical experts, water takes a greater portion of the human body, and its presence helps keep the body in great shape. In view of this, it has been advised that it is a good thing for every human being to take at least eight glasses of water a day. The availability of potable water contributes to reducing child mortality, as water-borne diseases such as the guinea worm scourge would be drastically reduced.
In as much as water is a basic need and its accessibility a basic human right, many parts of the world including Ghana, see it as a challenge to come across potable water. Even though it is a great asset, people who easily come across it, fail to recognise its necessity to life, so end up wasting it. Water is essential in our everyday life, and apart from it being useful for our body system, it as well helps us in everyday household and industrial activities, which as a result support economic growth.
Importance of water
According to Hyd-masti, water is the body’s principal chemical component, making up an average, 60 percent of the body weight. Every system in the body depends on water. Everyday an individual loses water through breathing, perspiration, urine and bowel movements. For one’s body to function properly, one must replenish its water supply by consuming beverages and foods that contain water. The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 litres /6.3 cups a day. One loses close to an additional litre of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements.
Food usually accounts for 20 percent of one’s total fluid intake, so if one consumes two litres of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups), along with your normal diet, you will typically replace the lost fluids. It is important for every individual to, at least, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 litres). It is very important for an individual to have water in his or her system, as its insufficiency results in fatigue, energy loss, premature aging, high and low blood pressure, constipation, digestive disorders, gastritis, stomach ulcers, respiratory troubles and enzema. It must be noted that drinking contaminated water has the tendency of affecting an individual with diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid and cholera.
Water wasting in the Ghanaian society
For some, saving water is a secondary issue, as the idea of saving water, which is equal to life, is not of great concern to them, even though they claim to cherish life so much. Many households, despite the shortage and rationing, never think twice about wasting water at the slightest opportunity. Many Ghanaians refuse to acknowledge that their dream of sustaining potable water would be fulfilled if they learn to do things for themselves, and not always wait for government agencies or ministries to work it out for them. It is very common to see a broken pipeline, either in the middle of the street, or right beside houses, mostly compound houses. Residents turn a blind eye to such situations.
Mr. Annor Teye, a resident of a compound house, when questioned about the situation, explained that the he would not spend money to employ the services of a plumber to fix it, as he was the only one who did it the last time. According to him, residents of the house feel reluctant to contribute when there is the need to do some maintenance, and rather forget that when the bill is due they will all be charged for the wasted water, as well. It is very sad that these same people carry gallons, buckets and even tanks, to form long queues in search of water when the tap stops flowing, forgetting that they are same people who allow water to go waste.
Source of potable water in Ghana
In Ghana, statistics show that about 40% of the population is deprived of their right to potable water. In the northern part of the country, the scarcity of water results in guinea worm disease becoming an epidemic. But the better attention given to availability of water in those regions, according to estimates, has resulted in a 20% reduction of the disease in the region. In the rural areas, the inability of the people to get access to potable water makes them depend on streams and rivers, which they filter to make it safe for drinking. Rural settlers have always relied on these sources of water for their survival, but for those who find themselves in mining territories, the problem they sometimes face, is the pollution of the water-bodies by mining companies, and their own illegal mining processes.
Settlers in the urban areas as well go through the trauma of water scarcity, even though they do not fetch from water bodies, but depend on the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) for their daily water supply. In some parts of the capital Accra, and in the Tema metropolis, the scarcity of water always results in water being rationed for the residents. Even though this is not a helpful situation, people never learn to help the water company to save water, some engage in illegal pipeline connections without the approval of the GWCL.
Water scarcity in Ghana
A truth is that there is water scarcity in most parts of the urban areas in Ghana, according to a spokesperson for Friends of Rivers and Water Bodies, Mr. Philip Agyemang-Duah, water supply to Accra and Tema totals about 85 million gallons per day from the Weija and Kpong Treatment Plants. The current delivery is about 76 million gallons per day. The demand is over 150 million gallons per day, which leaves a deficit of nearly 74 million gallons per day. The situation has given rise to a rationing system in the city to make some water available to residents at various times.
He mentioned that through the rationing system, some areas which hitherto had reasonable amounts of water supply may now be experiencing a less frequent supply, while those areas which have for a very long time not received any water supply, may now be receiving some.
Not long ago, the residents of the Adentan Municipality expressed their displeasure at officials of Aqua Vitens Rand Limited (AVRL) and the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), for their inability and lack of commitment towards resolving the water problems facing the area, which have been in existence for the past fifteen years. Over 90 per cent of residents living in the Adentan Municipality own water storage facilities that could last for two weeks or more, but yet still, water does not flow through their taps. Residents of the community are pleading that the GWCL does its best to rectify this situation.
Government’s plan
The Development Partners in the Water Sector has brought to the fore that Ghana now has its National Water Policy in place, and it seems that the Rural Water Sector Investment Plan and the Urban Water Sector Investment Plan are on the verge of getting ready. The focus areas in the National Water Policy include a concentration on access to safe water, water for food security, gender mainstreaming and good governance, and public and private partnerships. In addition, the National Water Policy brings up new emerging water-related environmental issues such as climate variability and change.
Conclusion
Water is precious and needs to be cherished, the survival and prospects of mankind depend on water and their ability to save it. Ghanaians should not take the use of water for granted, as it will go a long way to helping in the health development of the nation.
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