Main source of drinking water in Ghana is sachet water - Census Report

Pipe-borne water, best source of drinking water in Ghana – Minister

51.5% of households used sachet water

GWCL water meets WHO standards, Cecilia Dapaah

Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, has intimated that drinking sachet and bottled water was a personal decision most Ghanaians have made.

According to her, pipe-borne water produced by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is one of the best sources of drinking water with pH levels higher than the World Health Organization’s standard of the range 6.5–8.5

"I pointed out at a meeting that we don't have any sachet water business in Nigeria, we can find out but it is true. I have driven through villages and hamlets (in Nigeria), they don't have it," Mrs Dapaah said.

"It is a decision taken by the individual to use sachet water because I will put it on record that Ghana Water produces one of the best sources of drinking water even the pH levels are at times higher than the WHO standards," She added.

"So, our source is very good but we have all come into this socio-cultural thing of bottled water and sachet water. Nigeria with its population has no sachet water, so this idea of sachet water dominating drinking water is a choice. I am not saying people should be forced as a policy to use tap water, it's a decision by the individuals and more so 90 per cent of the water used for this packaging is from Ghana Water Company Limited even for the bottling, a few of them use springs and wells et cetera but we as a nation through Ghana Water, we produce one of the best sources,” She continued.

The Minister made these comments at the back of the latest population and housing census report which showed that sachet water is the main source of drinking water in Ghana.

The 2021 Population and Housing Census - General Report Volume 3M; Water and Sanitation showed that 37.4% of households use sachet water as their main source of drinking water followed by pipe-borne water which was used by 31.7% of households and borehole/tube which was used by 17.7% of households.

The data also indicated that in urban areas, the two main sources of drinking water was sachet water (51.5% of households) and pipe-borne water (33.6% of households).

In rural areas, borehole/tube well was used by 33.6% of households and pipe-borne water was used by 28.8% of households.