In a joint initiative with District Assemblies to provide safe drinking water to multiple communities, Safe Water Network in collaboration with the Bodi District Assembly and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bodi Constituency have launched three water stations at Ahibenso, Kwasikrom and Suiano A.

All three water stations were constructed at a cost of about $200,000 and will provide safe, affordable and reliable water access to 16,000 people. The stations were jointly funded by the Bodi District Assembly, MPs Common Fund, and Safe Water Network.

Commissioning the facilities, MP for Bodi, Mr. Sampson Ahi said: “the District Assembly and the MP facilitated and jointly funded the project so that the communities can have access to clean safe and affordable water to improve the health of the people.“We were elected to serve the people and one way to do this is by providing water which is a basic need” he said. The DCE of Bodi, Hon. Ignatius Amankwaa commended the former DCE Hon. Solomon Foachie for supporting the project and urged the community members to take the project serious.

He urged the community to pay for the water and keep the station running. He said the District Assembly would commit to join Safe Water Network to build more water facilities in other communities within the district.

The water stations referred to as H20ME water enterprises, apply a Limited Mechanization System (LMS) technology with chlorine dosing equipment and will produce an average of 60,000 litres of water daily per station. A network of five stand pipes has been provided in each of the three (3) communities to ensure convenient water access with options for households to sign up for water connection to their homes. To minimize the station’s operating cost and ensure uninterrupted water supply, the H20me water stations will use solar power as the primary energy source with the national electricity grid as back-up.

In a meeting with the Water and Sanitation Management Committee (WSMC)at Kwasikrom prior to the event, the WSMC commended Safe Water Network for completing the projects on schedule. “When we started discussions on construction the stations, we did not anticipate it being completed in the said time; we are glad to have such support from the District and the MP” said the Chairman of the WSMC, Nana Ackah.

The Head of Finance at Safe Water Network, Mr. Mark Owusuurged residents in the three communities to operate and manage the water station as a business to generate the required cash flows for long term sustainability. To date, Safe Water Network has launched water stations in over 100 communities in six regions, providing water access for nearly 300,000 people in Ghana. “Everyone can build a water station. To achieve this uppermost rung of the water ladder and deliver safely managed water access requires viable and robust management systems, Safe Water Network’s model just does that” says Mark Owusu.

In attendance at the launch were officials from the Bodi District Assembly, the MP for Bodi Constituency and staff of Safe Water Network.  Construction of the stations was made possible with partial funding support from the Stone Family Foundation, Vitol Foundation, and the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.