TAF Pilot Assessment by KNUST, TREND and WaterAid Ghana
Ghana’s first slow sand filtration system was constructed in 1986. Slow sand filters (SSFs) are used to treat surface water for small towns where groundwater quality is poor. SSFs are mostly used along the Volta River where raw water quality falls within an acceptable range. The technology is an effective treatment here and has been approved by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA).
Recommendations
The following recommendations can be made for sustainability of the SSF (it is considered to have already gone to scale).
- Sustainability depends to a large extent on how the technology is managed at the system level. Most SSF treatment plants have design lives which do not exceed 15 years. The CWSA must follow up on the issue of water provision after this period.
- Regular water quality tests should be carried out to ensure that systems continue to deliver safe water and treatment processes continue to be effective.
- Refresher training for system operators must also be carried out to ensure management of the technology continues to meet high standards.
- Further research should be carried out into how the washing filters can be automated. Operators say this is currently tiring and time consuming to do manually.
[TAF] Technology Applicability Framework 