The Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah has said the government is looking for funding to build two water treatment projects for Sekondi-Takoradi in the shortest possible time, to address the daily deficit of 15,000 gallons.
The Minister said this during a tour of some water and sanitation facilities in the Western Region.
She, however, called for proper water management and payment of water bills to enable the water company to maintain its facilities.
Sekondi-Takoradi has in recent time been hit with water shortage and subsequent rationing in some parts.
This has been blamed on polluted raw water sources, irregular power supply and the dry season.
To assess the situation in Sekondi-Takoradi, Cecilia Dapaaah companied by the Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company, Clifford Brima, as well as the Regional Minister, Kobina Okyere Darko-Mensah, visited the River Pra, which is a major source of raw water for the Ghana Water Company, but has for over a decade been polluted by artisanal gold mining activities.
She then continued to the Daboase Water Treatment Plant which takes its raw water from the polluted Pra River.
Briefing the Minister, the Western Regional Manager of the Ghana Water Company, Mark Cudjoe, said Secondi-Takoradi has a shortfall of its demand.
“The Daboase and Inchaban water treatment plants are the main sources of treated water to Sekondi-Takoradi which has daily need of 22 million gallons of water. However, the plants have a combined production capacity of 10 million gallons per day, and our current production level is seven million gallons a day. Which means we have a current shortfall of 15 million gallons for the people of Sekondi-Takloradi. The cause of the deficit in our production capacity is generally irregular power supply which affects the reliable treatment of water. More so is the fact that we are in a dry season which means a reduction in our raw water in the River Annkore which feeds the Inchaban Treatment plant.”
The Inchaban Water Treatment plant, which was built in 1915 is currently producing just 1.7 million gallons of water per day from its original built capacity of four million gallons per day.
The Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Cecilia Abena Dapaah, said the situation calls for regular payment of water bills.
“Ordinarily, all treatment plants should be expanded or a new one done after ten years because of population growth. It takes twenty-seven years for the population to double, we will have two other water projects coming to Sekondi-Takoradi to take care of the population growth and then other projects for other parts of the country. You cannot do a project every year, because if we even start today, it takes between three to four years to complete. That is why there is a need for us to conserve water and take care of our bodies. This is where we are, so the deficit should be managed. I also want to appeal all of us to pay our bills, both institutions and individuals, so that we can get more money to reinvest and do the rehabilitation.”
The Managing Director of Ghana Water Company, Clifford Brima, said the two projects under the Takoradi Water project for which funding of $243 million is being secured from the China Exim Bank.
Cecilia Dapaah also inspected the Sofokrom liquid waste treatment plant, currently operating with all the environmental requirements at 70 percent capacity.
