Standards and Certification Scheme on Household Water Treatment Products in Ghana

Access to safe drinking water remains a significant challenge in many regions across the globe. Household Water Treatment Products (HWTP) have emerged as a critical intervention to improve the quality of water at the point of use, particularly in areas where access to treated water is limited. However, the effectiveness of these products varies, and there is a pressing need for standardized microbiological performance criteria to ensure their safety and efficacy. The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda agreed by the United Nations (UN) member states in 2015 calls for universal access to safe drinking water, and the proposed indicator of ‘safely managed drinking water services’ will require direct measurement of drinking water quality (WHO/UNICEF, 2015a). Improved protection and management of drinking water supplies, including that at the household level, will therefore gain increasing importance for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal six targets. The National Strategy for Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage which was developed in 2014, seeks to reduce waterborne diseases and achieve health for all by 2025.

To achieve this, there is the need to increase awareness, improve practice in HWTS and use of appropriate and effective technologies (Republic of Ghana, 2014) such as siphon filters, ceramic filters and biosand filters. It is these settings that the household water treatment (HWT) and safe storage can serve as an important interim measure to make drinking water safer. Health gains from HWT and safe storage can only be achieved when treatment products are effective in removing pathogens from drinking water and are used correctly and consistently. To address this need, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR), World Health Organisation (WHO, Ghana) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF, Ghana), developed a standard and certification scheme to support importers and manufacturers of HWT products in Ghana.

These standards and certification include:

• GS 1331:2022, Requirements for Performance of Household Water Treatment Products and Technologies – Pathogen Removal
• GSA-PCM-STI-1331:2023, Scheme of Testing and Inspection for Certification of Household Water Treatment Products and Technologies for Pathogen Removal in accordance with GS 1331:2022

The standard outlines the criteria that HWTP must meet to be considered effective in removing or inactivating harmful microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. This session has an objective of raising awareness and promote the adoption of the developed standard among key WASH stakeholders, including government bodies, manufacturers, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs) and the general public.

The goal is to ensure that HWTPs available in the market meet the minimum microbiological performance criteria, thereby safeguarding public health.

The session is to achieve the following outcomes:

• Increased Awareness among stakeholders.
• Enhanced Compliance among manufacturers.
• Improved Public Health.

The dissemination of the Standard on Microbiological Performance of HWTP is crucial to ensuring that these products effectively safeguard public health. It would also provide the necessary tools and knowledge and create awareness among the general public for widespread adoption of the standard and thereby contributing to safer drinking water for all

The National Level Learning Alliance Platform (NLLAP), a WASH stakeholder learning platform will be used to undertake this activity.