More Urban Communities to Have Access to Potable Water in Ghana

Washington, DC — As World Bank approves US$50 million Additional Funding for Urban Water Project

The Board of Directors of the World Bank today approved an additional financing of US$50 million to the Government of Ghana, as a supplement to the ongoing Urban Water Project being financed by the Bank with a US$103 million grant.

The facility will help to complete the original project activities that have suffered from unanticipated cost overruns and financing gap of about US$42 million; and implement an additional lot of works that would scale up the project's impact to deprived areas at a cost of US$8 million.

Specifically the facility will fund outstanding works in the Brong Ahafo (Berekum) and Upper East Regions (Bawku and Navrongo), for which tender documents already exist. The Berekum works consist of boreholes, a potable water plant to remove iron and disinfect water, two elevated storage tanks and water distribution pipes. The Navrongo works consist of boreholes, a booster pump station, two elevated storage tanks and water distribution pipes. The Bawku works also consist of boreholes, a potable water plant, two elevated storage tanks and water distribution pipes.

Also, additional funds will be allocated for the expansion and improvement, in the Central Region, to the Winneba water distribution network that serves several surrounding communities, including: Apam, Ankamu, Mprumem, Mankoadze, Ankaful, Pomadze and Okyereko. The additional works will consist of the rehabilitation and extension of water distribution pipes and the construction of a new elevated water tank and a booster pump station.

Increasing access to improved water supply remains a priority for the Government of Ghana. While significant efforts have been made over the past decade to make potable water more accessible and affordable to Ghana's ever growing urban centers, much more remains to be done to provide water to people, particularly those in low income areas who usually buy it from vendors at a very high price.

According to Ventura Bengoechea, Task Team Leader of the Urban Water Project, "the additional financing approved by the Board of the World Bank today will allow the project to fully achieve and even exceed the targets that were originally contemplated with regard to people gaining access to water in selected urban areas throughout the country."