The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) says it will shut down treatment plants in the Central Region of the country, should losses exceed forty percent (40%) of water drawn for processing and distribution.
According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the GWCL, Mr. Stanley Martey, the Pra river which supplies water for processing and distribution to greater part of Cape Coast, has been heavily polluted by the actions of illegal small scale miners, also called “galamseyers.”
Consequently, between 25% and 40% of water drawn from the river for processing and distribution to that part of the country goes waste due to the turbidity of the water i.e. high volume of mud found in it.
To this end, the treatment plants taking source from the Pra river—Sefwi Herman treatment plant and Bosomase treatment plant—according to him, will be shut down to save the country’s resources if the losses exceed the 40%.
Mr. Stanley Martey, on Angel FM’s Anɔpa Bɔfoɔ morning show, said: “The water is very terrible. The little mud drawn translates into some 40% of water lost. The 60% percent remaining is not enough to suffice the population.
“Secondly, we have to clean the pumps every three to five days due to the mud that collects within and blocks the tubes, to avoid damages. This slows down the pressure expected to be built to supply the water to consumers.
“So after every clean up, we have to restart the pressure building. It all consumes energy. So, if the losses exceed 40%, we will shut down the treatment plant to save power,” he added.
The PRO also raised concerns about the costs involved in the treatment process.
“We spend so much replacing and servicing these pumps. We even changed them last year November. The pumps are meant to draw water, but rather they are drawing mud, resulting in the weekly servicing.”
Touching on the chemical bit, Mr. Martey noted that because of the high turbidity, “more chemicals have to be added to get the water to Ghana Standards Authority’s (GSA) drinking standard. And the authority’s standard is higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO).”
Futhermore, the chemicals are foreign produced hence have to be imported at the expense of the GWCL.
He therefore urged the public to actively partake in the fight against the menace to safeguard the country’s future.
