About Us

Until the early 1990s, the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation (GWSC) had been responsible for urban and rural water supply since 1965. During this period, there was low coverage of Rural Water Supply for rural people. This led to the creation of Rural Water Department within the GWSC in 1986 to give more attention to the provision of water and sanitation services for rural people. Some facilities were provided but these could not be sustained due to non-payment of tariffs by beneficiary communities and little or no maintenance by the centralised maintenance units of the GWSC.

The United Nations General Assembly declared the period 1981 – 1990 as the International Drinking Water and Sanitation Decade throughout the world. The focus was to ensure that by the end of the decade, nations would have given priority attention to the delivery of water and sanitation facilities to their populace. The Ghana Government, in line with the agenda for the decade, initiated a review of its policies on water and sanitation provision to keep pace with the changing conditions in the country and on the international scene.

In 1987 therefore, a donor conference on water and sanitation was held at the Ambassador Hotel in Accra, at which pledges were invited from donors. In February 1991, about sixty participants from Sector Institutions and External Support Agencies (ESAs) met at Kokrobite for a Workshop to prepare the grounds for a Rural Water and Sanitation Sector Strategy. After four years of consultations, a National Community Water and Sanitation Programme (NCWSP) was launched in 1994, in line with the Government’s decentralization policy. The purpose was to establish an organization that would focus on rural water and sanitation provision which had lacked behind over the years due the GWSC centralized maintenance system. Subsequently, the Community Water and Sanitation Division (CWSD) was carved out the GWSC, and became a semi-autonomous unit to manage rural water and sanitation delivery. After four years of existence, it was deemed necessary to grant complete autonomy to the CWSD to give greater impetus to its work. As a result, the Division was transformed into the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) by an Act of Parliament, Act 564 in December 1998, with the mandate to; “facilitate the provision of safe drinking water and related sanitation services to Rural Communities and Small Towns in Ghana.”

The CWSA has since been facilitating the implementation of the NCWSP using the decentralized structures at the district and community levels as prescribed in the Act.

Functions of CWSA in Act 564
Structure & Roles
Mission and Vision
Departments & Units
Achievements
Awards

Functions of CWSA in Act 564

Provide support to District Assemblies to:
promote the sustainability of safe drinking water supply and related sanitation services in rural communities and small towns;
enable the Assemblies to encourage the active involvement of communities, especially women, in the design, planning, construction and community management of water and sanitation project
Formulate strategies for the effective mobilization of resources for the execution of safe water development and related sanitation programmes.
Encourage private sector participation in the provision safe drinking water supply and related sanitation service
Provide District Assemblies with technical assistance in the planning and execution of water development and sanitation in the districts
Assist and co-ordinate with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) engaged in the development of water and related sanitation and hygiene education in rural communities and small towns
Initiate and pursue in collaboration with the Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development, Health and Education, programmes for public awareness in rural communities and small towns of water related hazards
Prescribe standards and guidelines for safe water supply and provision of related sanitation services in rural communities and small towns and support the District Assemblies to ensure compliance by the suppliers of the services
Charge reasonable fees for services provided
Collaborate with such international agencies as the Agency considers necessary in the execution of its mandate
Perform any other functions assigned to it by Act 564.

Structure & Roles

Our Structure and Roles

As a public sector organization, the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, operates under the policy direction of the new Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resource. The Agency is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors, including the Chief Executive, with the oversight responsibility of policy formulation and ensuring the implementation of the functions of the Agency. The Chief Executive, as the administrative head of the Agency, is responsible for the direction of the work of the CWSA as well as the day-to-day administration of the Agency. He also ensures the implementation of the decisions of the Board. He is assisted by a Senior Management Team made up fourteen directors, ten at the regional level and four at the Head Office.

Our Linkages

CWSA has links with organizations within the water sector. These include the Water Resources Commission, Water Research Institute, Ghana Water Company Ltd, the Ministries of Health, Education, Finance and Economic Planning, Local Government, Ghana Standards Authority, the Environmental Protection Authority, External Support Agencies, Partner Organisations (consultants, contractors), NGOs, the District Assemblies and the Beneficiary Communities in Rural and Small Towns.

The Agency works in collaboration with all these organizations to ensure efficient delivery of sustainable water and sanitation and hygiene promotion services to all beneficiaries.

Mission and Vision

Mission

CWSA is committed to efficient delivery of safe and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene services to rural communities and small towns in Ghana.

Vision

CWSA aspires to be the leading Public Sector Rural Water Service Delivery Organisation in Africa.

For CWSA to attain the above vision, its operations will be guided by the following:

CWSA as a professional organisation with values, cultures and ethics reminiscent of a world-class utility organisation.
CWSA managing small towns piped systems with creativity and technological innovation using market-based approaches whilst efficiently facilitating, in collaboration with the MMDAs, the delivery of rural water supplies;
CWSA as a focal point for learning and the translation of this learning into new strategies, practices, tools and standards to enhance the sustainability of water and sanitation services;
CWSA as the focal point for providing information, advice and policy guidelines on water and sanitation services.
CWSA establishing clear procedures to maximise the commitment and abilities of its team of professional staff to produce work of a high standard of quality;
CWSA adopting strategies that are responsive to achieving national targets for safe water delivery, sanitation and hygiene promotion.
CWSA mobilising adequate funding from the Government of Ghana, donors and communities for WASH programmes and developing the necessary cost recovery mechanisms to ensure sustainability; and
CWSA as an autonomous organisation operating effectively, efficiently and transparently.

Departments & Units

There are five directorates at the Head Office, namely:

Technical Services
Finance
Administration and Human Resource
Chief Executive’s Secretariat
Planning and Investments

The Chief Executive’s Secretariat is made up of the Public Relations, Audit and Legal Affairs units and a Confidential Secretary to the Chief Executive.

These units report directly to the Chief Executive. The Directors at the Head Office and Regional Offices are assisted by a core of highly skilled senior and support staff with varied educational and professional backgrounds.

Achievements

The CWSA has contributed to the growth and development of the water and sanitation sector through the successful implementation of the NCWSP, the policy document on the provision of safe water, hygiene promotion and improved sanitation facilities. CWSA has regional offices in all the 10 regions and it is operational in 23, 624 communities in 210 districts in Ghana

CWSA has gained achievements under the following sectors;

Water

Hygiene Promotion

Sanitation

Capacity Building

Good Governance

Innovations & Inventions

Awards

The Mwacafe Iron Removal Plant: This is a locally designed iron removal plant by one of CWSA’s Engineers (Ing. Worlanyo Siabi). It has been extensively tested and found to be very efficacious in removing elements such as iron and manganese found in ground water. It has so far won three (3) awards – one local and two international and these include:

Gold Prize: President’s Excellence Award for Public Service and Innovations in Ghana 2006
An All Africa Public Services Innovations Award 2007 in South Africa
An All Africa Public Administration and Management (AAPAM) Award for Innovative Management 2008