Main Source of Water for Drinking and other Domestic use

Main Source of water for drinking

Water sources are often classified as ‘improved’ or ‘unimproved’: sources considered as improved are pipe water into homes, public standpipe, boreholes, protected dug well, protected spring, and rainwater collection; unimproved sources are unprotected wells and springs, vendors, and tanker-trucks (WHO and UNICEF, 2000). The source of water of dwelling unit for drinking and other domestic purposes in the district is presented in Table 8.9.

The highest reported source of drinking water in Builsa South District as presented in Table 8.10 is bore-hole/pump/tube well constituting 45.3 percent. About 20.4 percent of the households depends on protected well while 6.1 percent of the households in the district rely on pipe borne water inside dwelling units as the main source of drinking water.

Main source of water for other domestic use

Just as borehole/pump/tube well is the main source of drinking water for 54.3 percent of the households and 42.8 percent depend on the same for domestic use. The next source is protected well/rainwater for 22.4 percent of the households and nearly 20 percent use unprotected wells for domestic purposes in the district, which could have health implications.

Toilet and Bathing facilities

Toilet facilities

An efficient and hygienic method of human waste disposal available in a dwelling unit is a critical indicator of the sanitary condition of the unit and is an indirect measure of the socio-economic status of a household. Table 8.10 displays information on type of toilet and bathing facilities used by household in the district.

A high proportion of households have on toilet facilities (91.0%), an indication that bushes and fields are used as places of convenience; 3.8 percent of the households use public toilets (WC/KVIP/etc.) and 2.7 percent and 2.0 percent use KVIP and Pit latrines respectively (Table 8.11). 56

Bathing Facilities

The 2010 PHC also collected information on bathing facilities of households. This is captured in table 8.10. The proportion of dwelling units with exclusive bathroom is 69.0 percent. Households with private open cubicle bathrooms in the district constitute 14.1 percent.

Method of waste disposal

Disposal of solid waste

One of the most obstinate challenges of both urban and rural areas in Ghana is the use of in-hygienic solid waste disposal systems, of which Builsa South District is not exempted. Table 8.12 shows that the most widely used means of disposing solid waste (refuse) in the district is public dump (open space) which represents 47.7 percent. The second method of refuse disposal in the district is burning by households (29.8%). Other methods include indiscriminate refuse disposal with 12.9 percent and collected refuse constituting 4.0% percent.

Disposal of liquid waste

The majority of households (84.7%) throw their liquid waste onto the street/outside followed by those who throw liquid waste onto the compound (6.3%). The proportion of those who dispose of in to a pit (soak away) is 3.7 percent.