Xetorlogo A community in search of more water

Akatsi District -Volta Region

Xetorlogo is a farming community in the Akatsi South District of the Volta Region of Ghana. It has a population of 760 residents . Xetorlogo has a borehole constructed by the Member of Parliament for the Area in 2007.

The borehole provides potable water for the community, but the residents say , “its not enough” because the 760 residents have to share their water with residents from neighbouring communities who do not have access to good drinking water. The facility is therefore usually crowded during the peak hours (6 to 8 a.m and 3 to 5p.m.). The national standard for boreholes is 300 people to a borehole.

Pupils from the Xetorlogo L.A Primary School fetch water from the community borehole for use in the school. They however don't have to pay to fetch the water. The water from the borehole is supplemented with rainwater harvested on the school compound. (see inserted )

Residents of Xetorlogo practice “ pay as your fetch” system. They pay GHS 50p for two buckets (18 litres each) of water. The Watsan Committee collects and keeps the money for maintaining the facility when it breaks down. Johnson Abetorgbor, is the secretary of the Xetorlogo Watsan Committee. He keep records of all income and expenditure.

The facility is managed by the Water and Sanitation Committee (Watsan Committee pictured here). The Committee is responsible for the general maintenance and operations of the water facility. The Committee is currently lobbying the Akatsi District Assembly to construct an additional borehole for Xetorlogo. This they say will reduce the amount of time spent at the borehole by residents.

Xetorlogo currently receives technical support from Environmental Health Assistants from the Akatsi District Assembly to manage their facility. The support enables them to undertake preventive maintenance and minor repairs. But they worry about what will happen if their water facility breaks down completely one day. They only have GHS600 cedis in their Bank Account, money raised from selling water to the residents.

Continuous water supply is what will keep the smiles on the faces of these school pupils of the Xetorlogo LA Primary School. The borehole is functioning optimally at the moment, but the Watsan Committee needs to find creative and sustainable ways of raising funds to undertake regular preventive maintenance and save enough funds to replace the pump and other parts when it outlives its life span. Until that happens these smiles may be for just the moment!

The end