WATER SUPPLY TO THE TWIN-CITY UNDER THREAT (PAGE 29, MAR 4, 2010)

WATER supply to the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolitan Area is under threat as the level of the two rivers which provide raw water for treatment, transmission and distribution to the metropolis keep on dwindling.
River Pra is the source of raw water for the Daboase head works of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), while River Anankwa provides raw water for the Inchaban head works of the company.
The Daboase headworks which produces six million gallons of water for Takoradi, Shama and the Takoradi Thermal Plant, is now producing a little over four million gallons a day, while the Inchaban headworks which produces four million gallons a day for Sekondi, is now doing 500,000 gallons a day.
The maximum water level of 4.9 meters of River Pra at which raw water is picked for treatment at the Daboase headworks has reduced drastically to about one meter, while that of River Anankwa which is 26 feet has gone down to eight feet.
The company has, therefore, decided to ration water supply to the metropolis.
The Western Regional Production mananger of the Ghana Water Company, Mr Mark Teiko Codjoe at the weekend, led a team of journalists to visit the two headworks and to inspect the rivers.
The visit offered the media the opportunity to observe and have first hand information on the current low raw water levels at the two treatment plants, which have adversely affected the production and supply of water to the metropolis.
It was observed that the water level of River Pra had reduced drastically, leading to the exposure of the bigger rocks in the river.
Mr Codjoe said the low level of the rivers had made the pumping and treatment of raw water very difficult, adding “Definitely there will be rationing of water”.
He said the activities of illegal gold miners, popularly called ‘galamsey’ also lead to the silting of the River Pra and that the company had to undertake regular desilting of the river, thereby, increasing the cost of production.
He said it was a disincentive to the Western Regional Security Council to always send security personnel to flush out these illegal miners from the River Pra.
He, therefore, called for drastic measures to help solve this problem once and for all.
Mr Codjoe noted that with the oil find, more people would be attracted to the twin-city and that the demand for water would be high. He said the company would have to reposition itself to meet this challenge.