A mason's solution on a building site — harvesting rainwater into an underground block tank — opened a window into Ghana's water crisis and the many solutions already waiting to be scaled.
I have always known that some communities struggle for access to water, but seeing what that reality looked like firsthand was different. This is a story I encountered during an ongoing building project. In this community, you find many homes with mechanical boreholes, dug wells, and water tankers. We kept buying water until it became very costly.
Then the mason, with a great wealth of experience from building in the community, proposed rainwater harvesting — built rain gutters connected to one point and into an underground block tank, treated with Aqua Tabs and fed by a water pump to an overhead polytank supplying the entire building.
"If one building can capture and store rainwater, what could happen if thousands of homes, schools, churches and businesses did the same?"
Ghana's Water Reality
The Ghana Water Company Ltd. (GWCL) is responsible for water in urban areas only. As of June 2024, GWCL serves approximately 14 million people — out of an estimated 34.43 million. Average daily production of 950,995 m³ falls short of a national demand of 1,129,361 m³.
Under SDG 6: Ghana has achieved 88% basic water access, but only 43% of the population uses safely managed drinking water. Only 16% of domestic wastewater is treated safely. An estimated $1.7 billion in annual investments is needed through to 2030.
Solutions Already Available
Mechanised borehole systems use a motorised pump to lift underground water. Dug wells, properly constructed and protected from contamination, provide water for households. Rainwater harvesting from rooftops captures what was already falling from the sky — with proper treatment, it becomes a valuable part of any household's water management.
Greywater from showers and sinks can be reused for gardens or flushing toilets. Advanced on-site wastewater treatment can turn sewage into biogas and recover nutrients for agriculture.
Perhaps Ghana's water future will not be secured by one solution. Perhaps it will be secured by many working together — beginning with one mason's practical wisdom on a building site.
Written by Fellow Caleb Quaye
