Publications
- Annual Report
- Quarterly Reports
- Review Reports
- CWSA Act
- Water Safety
- Speeches & Presentations
- Newsletters & Brochures
- Operational Documents
- Research
Annual Report 2018.
The operations of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) for the year 2018 was guided by the Agency’s Strategic Investment Plan (2018-2019) and the 2018 Performance Contract. The Performance Contract signed with the Government of Ghana (GoG) was facilitated by the State Enterprises Commission (SEC). The achievements of the targets set under the various indicators in the year are outlined below:
First Quarter Progress Report (January 1- March 31, 2019).
This report gives an overview of the activities carried out by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) in the first quarter of 2019 in fulfilment of the Agency’s mandate of delivering safe water and related sanitation services to rural communities and small towns throughout the country. It therefore presents the achievements made under the two main operational areas of the Agency namely facilitating the delivery of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services to rural communities and small towns and the ongoing rural water sub-sector reforms within which CWSA is directly managing small towns water supply systems across the country.
Second Quarter Progress Report (April 1 – June 30, 2019)
As part of efforts to fulfill the Agency’s mandate of delivering safe water and related sanitation services to rural communities and small towns across the country, some major activities were carried out during the quarter under review. This report therefore presents an outline of activities carried out by the Agency and the achievements made under the set indicators (financial &economic, efficiency/productivity, dynamic/management and operational/technical). The report further highlights achievements made by the Agency towards the management of piped water systems and achievements/status of on-going projects.
Third Quarter Progress Report (July 1 – September 30, 2019).
The report presents a comprehensive account of activities carried out by CWSA in the third quarter of 2019 towards the fulfillment of its mandate. The report encompasses third quarter achievements made against targets for financial & economic indicators, efficiency/productivity indicators, dynamic/management improvement indicators and operational/technical indicators. Activities carried out towards the management of Piped Water Systems and implementation status of ongoing projects are also highlighted.
Community Water And Sanitation Agency (CWSA) 2019 – Review Conference Communique
The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) is the lead public sector Agency in rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Ghana. The Agency was established in 1998 by an Act of Parliament, Act 564 with the object of facilitating the provision of safe water and related sanitation and hygiene services to rural communities and small towns. After 20 years of its establishment, CWSA has facilitated the provision of 1,033 Piped Water Systems of varying sizes, 32,466 boreholes, 82,970 household latrines, 5,391 Institutional latrines and enhanced the capacity of several sector partners across the country.
2018 Review Conference Communique
The CWSA 2018 Review Conference started on 30th July and ended on 3rd August 2018. The Conference which was held at Anita Hotel, Ejisu in Ashanti Region was under the theme ‘‘One Year of implementing CWSA Reforms: Achievements, Challenges, Lessons and Actions to Consolidate the Gains”. The objectives of the conference were the following:
- To evaluate the achievements and challenges of CWSA’s pilot participation in the management of piped systems
- To assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the new management model
- To document the lessons learnt in the participation of the management of piped systems
- To share knowledge on concepts and innovations on the reforms
- To formulate strategies to consolidate and scale-up the gains in the reform programme
2017 Review Conference Communique
A review conference was therefore held from the 8th to 12th May, 2017 at Noda Hotel, Fumesua in the Ashanti Region on the theme: “Rural Water and Sanitation Services Provision: Current Role of CWSA, Gaps and the Way Forward for Effective and Sustainable Delivery”.
CONFERENCE OBJECTIVES
- To examine the findings of the institutional assessment in terms of stakeholder perception, financing, organisational capacity and legal implications, sustainability of service provision, alignment with government policies and consistency with international best practices
- To build consensus on the future role of CWSA in the WASH sub- sector based on the proposed options
- To strategise on how to operationalise the selected option.
THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA
An act to establish a Community Water and Sanitation Agency to facilitate the provision of safe water and related sanitation services to rural communities and to provide for connected purposes. Date of Assent: 30th December, 1998 be it enacted by Parliament as follows:
Part 1- Establishment of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency.
(1) There is established by this Act a body to be known as the Community Water and Sanitation Agency referred to in this Act as “the Agency”.
(2) The Agency shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal and may sue and be sued in its corporate name.
(3) The Agency may in the discharge of its functions acquire and hold any movable or immovable property and enter into any contract or other transaction.
Objectives and functions of the Agency.
(1) The object of the Agency is to facilitate the provision of safe water and related sanitation services to rural communities and small towns.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1) the Agency shall perform the following functions:
(a) provide support to District Assemblies to: (i) promote the sustainability of safe water supply and related sanitation services in rural communities and small towns; and
(ii) enable the Assemblies encourage the active involvement of the communities, especially women, in the design, planning, construction and community management of projects related to safe water supply and related sanitation services;
(b) formulate strategies for the effective mobilization of resources for the execution of safe water development and related sanitation programmes in rural communities and small towns. (c) encourage private sector participation in the provision of safe water supply and related sanitation services in rural communities and small towns,
(d) provide District Assemblies with technical assistance in the planning and execution of water development and sanitation projects in the districts;
(e) assist and co-ordinate with Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOS) engaged in:
(i) the development of rural community and small town water supply;
(ii) the provision of sanitation facilities and hygiene education in the country;
(f) initiate and pursue in collaboration with the Ministries of Local Government, Environment, Health and Education, formal and non- formal education programmes for the creation of public awareness in rural communities and small towns of water related health hazards;
(g) prescribe standards and guidelines for safe water supply and provision of related sanitation services in rural communities and small towns and support the District Assemblies to ensure compliance by the suppliers of the services;
(h) charge reasonable fees for the services provided;
(i) collaborate with such international agencies as the Agency considers necessary for the purposes of this Act; and
(j) perform any other functions assigned to it under this Act.
Water Safety Framework
Safe water under the national community water and sanitation concept is described as water which meets standards prescribed by GSA for domestic use. It is understood that based on available clinical knowledge on health impacts related to water quality parameters currently identified under GSA standards, provision is made for permissible limits that ensure public health safety.
Under the NCWSP, a high proportion of communities are supplied from ground water sources, accounting for more than 95% extraction through boreholes and hand dug wells fitted with hand pumps or mechanized piped systems. This preference result from the availability of groundwater compared with other water sources and the high cost implications associated with purification of surface water sources. Large water schemes based on surface water sources require slow sand and rapid sand filtration systems. Choices of purification mechanisms are based often on the quality of source and cost.
Although groundwater extractions is often preferred for the community water supplies, the occurrence of high levels of minerals, including metallic compounds has been identified as an emerging challenge limiting the extent to which resource can be utilized. Drilling records have revealed on the average, 30% of wells drilled for domestic water supply in Ghana contain manganese, iron, arsenic, fluoride, hardness, low and high pH and some other parameters outside the GSA permissible limits. About 40% of drilled wells with these water quality challenges risk being abandoned by user communities.
One of the measures taken by CWSA to ensure that the water safety objective of the NCWSP is achieved is to develop a WSF, which provides broad guidelines on issues related to provision of safe water, and monitoring within the CWSA sub-sector in accordance with water safety targets set by the GSA for domestic water supply.
Objectives of the water safety framework are as follows;
a)Establish targets for phsico-chemical and microbial quality of water supply
b) Establish modalities for Water quality testing, monitoring and assessment needed to ensure the safety of drinking water supply.
c) Develop Public Health protection mechanism through water system monitoring, risk assessment and management surveillance, health and hygiene education and promotion
d) Determine the level of investment required for ensuring water safety
The major components of the WSF are;
1) Water Quality Testing
2) Water Safety Risk Assessment
3) Water Safety Risk Management
4) Environmental and Social Surveillance
5) Development of Water Safety Plans for Water Systems
6) Capacity Building for Stakeholders
The Challenge Of Fluoride In Drinking Water
Overview of Water Quality
An Overview of The Rural Water and Sanitation Sub Sector by the Chief Executive of CWSA Ing. Worlanyo Kwadjo Siabi (MV) at the Opening Ceremony of the CWSA 2019 Review Conference at Noda Hotel, Fumesua in the Ashanti Region.
The Agency is currently implementing some WASH projects. One major project being implemented is the Additional Financing – Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project (AF – SRWSP) at a cost of US$ 45.7 Million in Eleven (11) beneficiary regions to serve about 650,000 people in 94 districts. The project will deliver 23 small towns piped water systems, 250 boreholes fitted with handpumps, design of 10 small towns piped water systems in UWR, completion of designs to serve communities with high fluoride levels in groundwater in Upper East and North East regions and install 20,000 digni-loo latrines in households and to achieve 500 open defecation free communities.
CWSA Reform – Media Brief
Water Safety Management
Water safety plans have been developed for ninety (90) piped water systems. Ghana can now provide data to WHO as part of its obligations towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
Impact of the CWSA Reform on water services.
1. Revenue from the sale of water has increased on all the water systems without a raise in tariff.
2. Efficiency in the operation and management of piped water systems has improved tremendously.
Downloadable Documents
Direct Operational Manual(DOM)The state of Rural and Small Towns Water Services in Ghana (Fact Sheets)
Related Downloads
Why CWSA matters
Piped Water Systems
Hygiene Promotion
Sanitation
Accra – Ghana