Provost of the College of Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Prof. Kwabena Biritwum Nyarko, is emphasizing the critical need to address grey water management to prevent health and environmental consequences.
Speaking at his professorial inaugural lecture, he called on the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources to integrate Greywater Management in water and sanitation programming.
Greywater which refers to wastewater from our kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry sources has been found to be polluted, posing substantial environmental and health risks to communities.
According to the 2020 Population and Housing census, 70% of the population disposes of their grey water by dumping it on the ground or in the street, while 27% allow it to flow into drains or gutters or directly throw it into these drains.
Again, 11% channel their grey water into a soakage pit (soakaway), and only 2% discharge greywater through the sewerage system.
At his lecture which is under the topic: “Universal access to water and sanitation: A myth or a reality?” he was worried grey water “has not received attention in Ghana.”
He further stated his research activities on grey water hasn’t been encouraging.
“Our findings revealed the following: 36% of the average water consumed ends up as greywater. Greywater is polluted and requires treatment before disposal. Greywater contains micropollutants at levels higher than expected.
He added: “With less than 5% of Ghana’s population having access to sewerage systems, our reliance on onsite sanitation, which fails to address greywater challenges, is a significant concern. Untreated greywater.
“Universal access to water and sanitation will be meaningless unless greywater management is made an integral component.
“Achieving universal access to water and sanitation without addressing greywater issues will be meaningless!
On the household level, Prof. Biritwum Nyarko believes “the least we can do is to use soakage pit or soakaway”.
Credit: Emmanuel Kwasi Debrah