Sanitation Minister inaugurates state-of-the-art Sewerage facility, emphasizes collaborative efforts for improved sanitation

Freda Prempeh, the Minister for Sanitation & Water Resources, officially inaugurated an ultra-modern Simplified Sewerage Facility and Treatment Plant in Ashaiman and Bankuman within the Tema Metropolitan Area.

This marked her first major engagement in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector since assuming her new role, succeeding the dynamic Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

During the commissioning ceremony, Minister Prempeh expressed her gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for the opportunity to serve the nation once again. She took a moment to recognize the achievements of her predecessor, praising Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah for spearheading transformative WASH initiatives that ensured safe and accessible water services, as well as proper sanitation and hygiene practices for all Ghanaians.

Highlighting the critical importance of proper sanitation, Minister Prempeh underlined the risks faced by communities without adequate sanitation infrastructure, emphasizing the vulnerability to excreta-related diseases. She lauded the newly established sewerage treatment facilities for significantly reducing these risks and uplifting the living standards of the communities in Ashaiman and Bankuman.

Minister Prempeh also commended the collaborative efforts of the Ministry and its partners under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's leadership. She revealed that over 234,000 household toilets had been constructed since 2017 through various financing schemes, enabling households and small businesses to access affordable loans and build their own sanitation facilities.

One notable project, the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA-SWP), was singled out for its role in providing safe sanitation to low-income peri-urban households. Minister Prempeh noted the successful launch of the Bio-Digester Toilet Construction and Installation Manual during the Annual Conference of the Ghana Institution of Engineering in March 2022.

She acknowledged the proliferation of biodigester toilets but highlighted the need for standardization to protect the environment from untreated waste discharge. In response, the Ministry, in partnership with GAMA-SWP, embarked on the process of documenting the construction and installation of biodigesters in a simplified manner. This effort led to the development of the Bio-Digester Toilet Construction and Installation Manual, aimed at assisting engineers, technicians, artisans, entrepreneurs, and institutions in the WASH sector.

Minister Prempeh encouraged artisans across the nation to acquire a copy of the manual, emphasizing its potential to enhance sanitation in low-income communities. Concluding her speech, she reiterated that sanitation is a collective responsibility requiring sustained collaborative solutions.