water

a lot of people in ghana don't have running water. even in big cities, it is normal to see women or children carrying huge bowls of water on their heads, heading home from the borehole, river, or well.

even among those fortunate to have running water, it is often only on for a few hours a day, at most, or just a couple times a week. during this time, people fill their buckets or barrels to use until the next supply.

the most fortunate people have polytanks. these are huge black water tanks, usually built at an elevation near the house. i am one of these lucky people. with a polytank, we fill the tank, and the water flows from it throughout the day as long as we need.

i am even luckier than most, because my school is on an automated borehole system, so our water supply is endless and free. this means that i can fill my polytank at whatever time it empties. it also means that my neighbor, with whom i share my tank, can use it every single night to water her huge garden, and we never have to pay anything for it.

it's great.

now, when you do have running water in ghana, it is just normal temperature. except in the most luxurious hotels or fancy houses, water heaters do not exist.

so, the best part of the polytank is that if you take a shower in the afternoon or evening, after the sun has been baking that huge black plastic tank all day, it is pleasantly warm!