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Paper short abstract:

Centered on the ubiquitous Polytank, plastics and plastic infrastructures dominate water provisioning in Ghana. How are these systems sourced and accessed amid the vagary of global supply chains? What is the relationship between on-the-ground operational configurations and wider material economies?

Paper long abstract:

Water tops the list of global concerns. UN Sustainable Development Goals prioritize clean water for all. In Africa, multilateral and bilateral aid promote water access via investment in water infrastructure and the privatization of national water works. This is evident in Ghana where Ghana Water Company LTD oversees national water infrastructure. Another stream of water privatization, however, flies under the radar. So ubiquitous, it is barely noticed as worthy of commentary or recognized for its primacy to national water provisioning. Large scale 500-10,000 gallon plastic water storage tanks – commonly known by brand name Polytank – are the backbone of national water supply for wealthy and poor alike, both on and off grid.

This paper investigates the sourcing of these fundamental systems of subsistence. What are the origins of their components, distribution channels and bottlenecks, workarounds, and means of access? What is the larger political economy and corporate structure through which these objects – their raw materials and means of manufacture -- circulate and stabilize?

Research findings suggest that these seemingly informal and individualized solutions, even if imperfect, offer Plastic Infrastructure: Water Works and Material Economies in Ghanaflexible, ‘plastic’, infrastructure uniquely adapted to circumstances which formal, top-down interventions should better take into account. Notably, they offer a model of infrastructural accessibility and need to be recognized as key partners in system expansion. Further, solutions should take seriously the materials and components that account for their plasticity and adaptability. The expansive character of these water economies defies the strictures of water governance narrowly conceived by states and development agencies.