Solar-based water treatment project

Ho, Dec. 20, GNA - The E P Development and Relief Agency (EPDRA) of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church has launched a solar-based water treatment project to introduce rural communities to simple technology for purifying water for domestic use.

The Church's 66th Synod in August 2007 decided to promulgate a policy on water as a "precious gift of God". Right Reverend Dr Livingstone Buama, Moderator of the Church, said at a trainer-of-trainers workshop on the application of the technology on Wednesday that the project was an invitation to Christian stewardship in rural Ghana in the area of water supply.

He said it was incumbent on members of the Church to help popularise the initiative in their rural communities by adopting it. Mrs Lydia Adajawa, Presbyter Executive of the Church said the project ought to be approached in the context that "nothing replaces water", and the fact that waterborne diseases continued to be a major hurdle to good health in rural communities. Dr Richmond Nfodwo, Executive Director of (EPDRA) said the project would be executed on a pilot scale in some communities in the Ho Municipal area, Adaklu Anyigbe District, South-Dayi, Hohoe District and Dambai area.

Dr Nfodwo said the technology, had the ability of making turbid water clean and free of bacteria, which caused diarrhoea and other waterborne diseases including guinea worm. He said the technology was affordable and sustainable, as it did not require much money and complex processes to apply. Explaining the processes involved, Dr Nfodwo said powdered "moringa" seed is first added to a quantity of turbid water for sedimentation to take place after which the water was strained using a white clean cloth and then filled into clean plastic bottles which are then placed in the groves of corrugated iron roofing sheet for six hours on a sunny day.

He said on a cloudy day, the bottles of water should be exposed to the sun for two days. Dr Nfodwo said the technology would, however, not be applicable in the rainy season when there would be abundant rain and therefore enough potable water in rural communities. He said the technology had been in use in Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, where it has proved successful in making safe water available to many communities whose sources of drinking water were suspect.