Residents in several parts of the Greater Accra Region will continue to experience irregular water supply as the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) grapples with production and distribution challenges.
According to GWCL’s Communications Manager, Stanley Martey, the disruptions have been caused by the prolonged shutdown of the Teshie desalination plant and extensive leakages along key transmission pipelines supplying water to parts of the capital.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem programme, Mr Martey said legal and maintenance issues involving the owners of the Teshie desalination plant have kept the facility out of operation since October.
“We had an issue with the owners of the desalination plant in Teshie, which involves legal and maintenance matters that we are still working on,” he said.
The shutdown has affected water supply to Teshie, Nungua, Spintex and neighbouring communities, forcing GWCL to redistribute the limited water available from other sources.
“The plant that supplies Teshie, Nungua, Spintex and adjoining communities is not operating, but we cannot stop supplying those areas,” he explained.
Water rationing intensified
Mr Martey said the reduction in available water has compelled the utility company to ration supplies across several communities, resulting in reduced service to many households.
Communities affected include Teshie, Nungua, Ashaiman, Gbetsile, Zenu, Kpone, Prampram, Katamanso and surrounding areas.
“We have to find ways to supply Teshie, Nungua, Ashaiman, Gbetsile, Zenu, Kpone, Prampram, Katamanso and surrounding communities. The available water volumes have reduced,” he said.
He disclosed that residents of Teshie and Nungua are currently receiving water only twice a week as GWCL attempts to share the available supply among the affected areas.
“Teshie and Nungua residents now receive water only two times a week because we have to share the available supply with other communities.”
Pipeline leaks worsening supply
Mr Martey also revealed that inspections of the transmission pipelines between Kpone and Tema uncovered extensive leakages that are significantly reducing the volume of water reaching consumers.
According to him, although water is transported through three major pipelines measuring 43, 24 and 21 inches in diameter, only between 40 and 60 per cent of the pumped water reaches its intended destinations.
“We realised that only about 40 to 60 per cent of the water pumped from Kpone to Tema gets to consumers, which means many communities are not receiving enough water,” he said.
He explained that engineers identified several weak sections and vacuum leaks along the pipelines, many of which had gone undetected because they were located in bushy areas.
Mr Martey further alleged that some farmers had illegally punctured sections of the pipelines to divert water for irrigation, exacerbating water losses and further disrupting supply to consumers.
GWCL says it is working to address the challenges and restore stable water supply to affected communities as quickly as possible.
