Addressing Water Quality Challenges in Ghana's Greater Accra Region: A Review for Sustainable Access to Safe Drinking Water.

In Ghana, about 5 million people still use water from questionable sources, which puts them at risk for illness. Though 80 percent of Ghanaians have access to drinking water, only 13 percent is reflected in improved sanitation and hygiene. Due to poor water quality, it is estimated that 13% of Ghanaian children under the age of five die from diarrheal sickness each year. More than 50% of residents within the Greater Accra region lack reliable drinking water sources, often relying on unsafe water for their daily activities. Issues concerning the region's water quality were examined in this study. The quality of water in Accra is highly affected by industrial discharge, improper waste disposal, poor sanitation, and surface runoff due to the lack of proper drainage systems. Ghana Water Company supplies 40% of households in the region from its treatment plant at Weija and Kpong. Small-scale sachet and bottled water production companies also contribute to drinking water treatment using the reverse osmosis filtration system. Drinking water from the densely populated environment within the region is often polluted by E. coli which shows fecal contamination. There are several illnesses in the region linked to the drinking water, including cholera, diarrhea, typhoid fever, and dysentery. Population growth and urbanization continue to drive the daily water needs of the region. Continuous water monitoring, proper drainage systems, and more efficient water treatment systems are needed to supply residents within the region with adequate potable water.