WATER SECURITY AND SANITATION

Water Coverage

The water coverage rate in the district is estimated at 64.5%. Although the general water coverage rate of the district is commendable, this has been influenced by pipe borne water supply to the five (5) major urban centres such as Nsaba, Duakwa, Kwanyako, Asafo and Mankrong in the district and selected communities served by Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).

The various sources of water for people in the district include pipe borne, borehole, hand dug wells and river/spring/pond among others. A substantial proportion of households in the district about13.6 % rely on unsafe water supply sources for drinking and other purposes. This situation probably accounts for the prevalence of water borne and sanitation related diseases in several communities in the district.

About 86.4 % of households have access to improved water sources. Figure 10 belowshowsthat62% of the District Population has access to pipe-borne water, whilst 19%and 3%use a borehole and well respectively. The remaining population depends on untreated water from streams and rivers (2010 population and housing census).

Fig.1.9: Water coverage in Agona East

Water Interventions

The Community Water and Sanitation Agency collaborated with International Development Agency (IDA) to extend water supply to Kenyankor, Duotu, Fahwia, Fante Bawjiase and its communities in the district. Institutional latrines have been constructed in 5 communities of the District.

Sanitation

Solid Waste Management

There is no institutionalized solid waste management system, in the district especially at secondary and tertiary stages. However, at the primary disposal stage the Environmental officers and the communities through individuals/individual household’s efforts dispose of their solid waste to nearby open duping sites.

Refuse disposal in the disposal is mostly unorganized. Currently, the Assembly operates withonly11 communal refuse containers which are placed at Nsaba, Duakwa, Mensakrom, Kwansakrom, Kotokoli Zongo, Asafo and Kwanyako. Approximately54% of household refuse is disposed of in the open space around the houses (2010 population and housing census). The few organized ones have unkempt surrounding Challenges. Based on the 2010 population of 85,920, and an average waste production of 0.5 kg per day, the district generates an estimated total waste of about 43metrictonnes everyday constituting 86m3 by volume. About 150metric tonnes (300m3) constituting49.8%of the refuse are collected every week for final disposal. The rest find its way into unauthorized sites such as bushes creating serious environmental problems.

The poor solid waste management has negative implication for the district. The uncleared solid waste and poor drainage constitute an eyesore, degrading the environmental quality and aesthetic value of the district. The heaps of solid waste and poor drainage in the district constitute a variable source of stench and offence odour as well as pollution in the district. It therefore becomes imperative that the District Assembly and house owners give serious attention to these problems in order to rescue the situation.

Fig. 1.10: Refuse Disposal Situation in Agona East District

Table 1.23: Water and Sanitation

(Source: Gaps Analysis of the 2014-2017MTDP)

Environmental Situation

Swedru, a sister district’s capital is the only place with a waste disposal site for both liquid and solid waste generated in the district. All the other communities rely on make shift local arrangements most of which do not conform to accepted environmental norms. The poor waste disposal situation in Agona East is caused by inefficient and inadequate infrastructure facilities, especially insufficient drainage and toilet facilities. In some of the communities refuse disposal points have become terminals for open defecation while the pile of refuse grow into unsightly mountains because the Assembly is unable to cope with the problem.

The absence of development according to planned layouts has denied the towns of elaborate drainage systems and resulted in household effluents being disposed of haphazardly and causing unsanitary conditions in most areas. The illegal activities of chain-saw operators, charcoal and firewood merchants have resulted in deforestation since the fuel wood related activities are not based on sustainable exploitation of forest resources and thus posing a threat to ecological stability and sustainable environmental development.

Traditional farm management practices, to wit, slash-and-burn; reduced fallow periods; reduced crop rotation cycles and the absence of agro-forestry practices among others have resulted in erosion on farmlands.

One major environmental problem especially in the villages is inter-house soil erosion. The foundations under several houses are exposed thus posing danger to life and property since many of these buildings are constructed with laterite.

Due to misuse and mismanagement of water bodies, for example dumping of refuse and soapy water into them largely due to ignorance and conservatism there is water pollution in some of the settlements. Air pollution in some settlements is caused by poor sanitary conditions arising from piles of rotting refuse.

Status of Implementation of the Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)

Most houses are built without proper sanitary facilities compelling a number of inhabitants to rely on few public toilets some of which are so poor that one cannot even enter let alone use them. Such pressing situations have caused most of the people to resort to open defecation which has the tendency to cause serious outbreak of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and hepatitis. As part of our obligation in accordance with the National Policy to obtain Open Defecation Free(ODF)Communities in the District, fourteen (14) communities were selected under IDACLTS Quick Wins Phase II Project for implementation of CLTS with the aim of ensuring that they attain ODF status by end of May, 2017. The table below shows the status of implementation in the district.

Table 1.24: Status of representation of CLTS in the District