Rural Water “Utilization” Project in Ghana

Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) initiated a policy reform in 2017, to expand its mandate to include the management of piped water systems in rural areas, and thus in effect become a rural utility. Four years into the reform agenda, CWSA recognizes that it needs to evolve to become the provider of safe water to residents served by the about 1200 pipe water systems in Ghana. 

The “Rural Water Utilization Project” (R-WUP), funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation aims to support the CWSA in its growth as a professionalized public utility in the context of rural water reforms in Ghana. The project would support CWSA to establish an effective rural and small-town water utility model/ approach in the Western region, with strengthened capacity at the national level, which can be replicated across the country. 

The core implementing partners working on the project are CWSA, IRC, Safe Water Network (SWN) and Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor (WSUP). The objective of this national learning alliance platform (NLLAP) engagement is to share the project updates and progress to date, facilitate discussions and explore experiences to provide insights to inform the project implementation and the ongoing reforms in the rural water sub-sector. This NLLAP session will open with a brief welcome, sharing on the state of water service in Western region and short progress updates from core project partners, to be followed by a lively facilitated interactive discussion