Ministry introduces rainwater harvesting system

The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), has introduced a system to enable rainwater harvesting in the ministerial enclave for domestic usage.

This is aimed at harvesting sustainable and safe rain water that can help meet the current challenge facing the country in climate change, by saving valuable water to reduce the volume of storm water leaving homes and properties during heavy rains, thereby, causing havoc in communities.

Mr Sampson Ahi, Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, addressing the media and other stakeholders, said the country was running out of water for human consumption and as such there was the need to encourage rain water harvesting to meet the demand.

Mr Ahi said this was to ensure rain water harvesting was made paramount and well managed at the ministries for domestic use and the country at large.

He said galamsey activities were draining most of the water resources and as such the need to resort to rainwater harvesting to ensure the country did not face water shortage.

Nii Osah Mills, Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, said the need for rain water harvesting had become more urgent than before to augment water situations in the ministries.

Nii Mills said the initiative, if well implemented, would allow the effective use of water when there was a shortage.

Dr Barnabas Amisigo, Project Director, Water Research Institute, CSIR, said this was an enterprise that would suggest that the country was making good use of rain water to meet the Millennium Development Goal on the harvesting of rain water.

He said inadequate awareness of the benefit, quality of the rain water, unsuitable roofing systems, low roof heights as well as high cost in the water collection were some of the major reasons people were not engaging in the initiative despite its benefits.

He, however, called on the Government to raise awareness on rain water collection and revise the building codes to improve water collection for mass production.