Bolah Bondeh

Treatment and valorisation of critical parts of Accra’s waste water, by processing through a private treatment business at the Lavender Hill dumping location and developing a sustainable and valorised chain around this treatment station.

Project number

GWW1516

Country

• Ghana

Location

• Accra Metropolitan Area

Sector

• Improved Waste Management

Project budget

Applicant

• Slamson Ghana Ltd

Partners

• Green-Gro Ltd
• AMA
• Louis Bolk NL
• Louis Bolk Ghana
• WaterFocus Cooperative

Project description

Currently, the Accra Metropolitan Area inhabits more than 1 million citizens and is the most densely populated administrative area in Ghana. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and adjacent municipalities presently dispose most of their faecal sludge directly and untreated into the sea at the Korle Gonno Lagoon and at the so-called ‘Lavender Hill’. The only wastewater treatment plant in the Metropolis (Mudor plant), north of the lagoon, is undergoing rehabilitation but is not suitable for bulk (truck) delivery of faecal sludges and only treats 15% of AMA sewage, mostly servicing the central business area and nearby areas. Other areas are served by on-site septic tanks and pit latrines, however a large proportion of the population of Accra still relies on non-sewage public toilets, on-site sanitation facilities or on open defecation.
The present situation of very limited wastewater/sludge treatment leaves many areas in the Metropolis and surrounding areas ill-served with serious environmental effects on land and water quality, caused by high concentrations of biochemical contaminants. Accompanied by harsh living and working conditions under very poor hygienic circumstances, especially with the poor, this causes many health problems with regular outbreaks of cholera and other diseases.
The Bola Bondeh project builds on the challenges in faecal sludge collection and disposal reducing the negative environmental impact and health hazards of dumping untreated liquid waste into the sea and other water bodies. Close to Lavender Hill, a wastewater treatment facility was installed in 2012 with a daily treatment capacity of 600 m³ sludge and has been in operation since. The Danish Development Cooperation Directorate DANIDA has issued approval to financially support the expansion of the facility to 800 m³ and build another on a nearby site for 800 m³ sludge treatment. For a final approval the conditions to be met are in a progressive stage.

The scope of the underlying project lies with the treatment and re-use of excreta and environmentally sound disposal. Based on a supply chain and nutrient recycling approach the objectives of the project are to:

• Strongly reduce discharge of untreated wastewater in surface waters or sea around the Lavender Hill location
• Improve hygienic sanitation situation at community and household level in Jamestown
• Introduce simple and robust techniques for treatment of wastewater, urine and organic matter
• Develop private businesses in composting
• Use of compost as part of good agricultural practices (GAP) in (peri-urban) agriculture

Project duration

5 years