Accra, Feb. 11, GNA- Mr Stanley Martey, Communications Manager, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), says the growing number of bottled and sachet Water manufacturers in the Greater Accra region is affecting the Company’s capacity to meet domestic demands.

He said some manufacturers were producing in commercial quantities for consumers outside the Region compounding the existing challenge of high demand for treated water.

Mr Martey said the high demand for potable water in the region was due to growing population, lapses in electricity supply leading to high downtime, and inadequate funding for infrastructure expansion.

He said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.

Mr Martey indicated that despite the establishment of the Kpong treatment plant, the Desalination project for residents of Teshie-Nungua and the operationalisation of the Weija plant, which on average produced about 60 million gallons per day, water shortages persisted and called for the support of stakeholders to fix the challenges.

“For now, we are not rationing water but rather doing demand management. For rationing, we could say we are giving you water for two days but from the look of things we manage demand and give you water for some days and it will go away for some time,” he said.

The Communications Director expressed worry over the encroachment of land designated for expansion by the Company, stating that “even if funding is secured there will be no land for expansion due to encroachment.”

With the Company’s capacity of producing about 130 million gallons a day out of the 170 million demanded, he called on people in the region to use water judiciously and store it properly.

Speaking on water situation in other regions, he said the Western and Central regions were worst affected by water shortage due to activities of illegal mining, sand winning and destruction of protective cover of water bodies that had either dried up or were heavily polluted.

That, he said, had forced the Company to incur extra costs in dredging the water bodies regularly.

“As a Company, we don’t have the manpower to take galamseyers on and so we collaborate with the security agencies,” he said.

He said the Upper West Region had less demand, so the treatment plant was producing under capacity.

Mr Martey said the Water Company had started deliberations on how to, as a last resort, rely on the Volta River to provide potable water to the populace.

GNA

Accra, Feb. 11, GNA- Mr Stanley Martey, Communications Manager, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), says the growing number of bottled and sachet Water manufacturers in the Greater Accra region is affecting the Company’s capacity to meet domestic demands.

He said some manufacturers were producing in commercial quantities for consumers outside the Region compounding the existing challenge of high demand for treated water.

Mr Martey said the high demand for potable water in the region was due to growing population, lapses in electricity supply leading to high downtime, and inadequate funding for infrastructure expansion.

He said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.

Mr Martey indicated that despite the establishment of the Kpong treatment plant, the Desalination project for residents of Teshie-Nungua and the operationalisation of the Weija plant, which on average produced about 60 million gallons per day, water shortages persisted and called for the support of stakeholders to fix the challenges.

“For now, we are not rationing water but rather doing demand management. For rationing, we could say we are giving you water for two days but from the look of things we manage demand and give you water for some days and it will go away for some time,” he said.

The Communications Director expressed worry over the encroachment of land designated for expansion by the Company, stating that “even if funding is secured there will be no land for expansion due to encroachment.”

With the Company’s capacity of producing about 130 million gallons a day out of the 170 million demanded, he called on people in the region to use water judiciously and store it properly.

Speaking on water situation in other regions, he said the Western and Central regions were worst affected by water shortage due to activities of illegal mining, sand winning and destruction of protective cover of water bodies that had either dried up or were heavily polluted.

That, he said, had forced the Company to incur extra costs in dredging the water bodies regularly.

“As a Company, we don’t have the manpower to take galamseyers on and so we collaborate with the security agencies,” he said.

He said the Upper West Region had less demand, so the treatment plant was producing under capacity.

Mr Martey said the Water Company had started deliberations on how to, as a last resort, rely on the Volta River to provide potable water to the populace.

GNA