‘Government is committed in meeting universal water coverage in urban areas by 2030’ – Sanitation Minister

Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has reiterated the plans of the government to meet the universal water coverage in urban water supply and management by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 6.

According to the Minister, since 2017 the government has undertaken various projects within the urban space, and currently, 8 of the projects have commenced in different parts of the country.

She indicated that the projects are at different stages of completion to improve water supply in the urban areas to meet the growing demand.

“With regards to water supply and management in urban areas, the government is committed to meeting the universal water coverage by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goal 6. The plan of government is captured in the policy document with the caption ‘ Water for All ‘. The government has since 2017, initiated a number of projects to improve water supply to be able to meet the increasing demand. In the Upper East Region, Phase 1 of the project is currently at 92 percent whilst Phase 2 is at 67 percent, the overall progress is ensured and we hope to complete it by the end of August.

In the Northern Region, the Tamale Water Supply System valued at $223m and Yendi Water System valued at $30m have commenced and there are plans to move up the production capacity to meet the expected demand ( 30,000 cubic meters of water per day to 135,000 cubic meters)as of 2040. The Yendi Project includes a new water treatment plant for the people which is expected to provide water for 133,000 people. There are similar projects also being constructed in other parts of the country to increase water supply to the inhabitants of those communities

Also, Cecilia Dapaah reiterated government’s resolve to ensure that citizens have access to adequate supply of water in their daily endeavors and make sure water is available to both rural and urban dwellers.

She concluded that access to potable water all across the country for the citizens is one of the priorities of the President and his government which is why huge investments are being made to make that vision a reality.