By Stanley Senya
Accra, March 22, GNA – Mr Stanley Martey, Communications Director of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) says, tap water which flows from various water dissemination facilities to homes is safe and healthy for consumption.
He said the GWCL has subscribed to the International Water Safety Plans, which was a risk management tool, which looked at the safety of water from abstraction to the consumers premises.
He said this at the commemoration of World Water Day organised by Revenue Mobilisation Africa (RMA) in Accra, on the theme, “Accelerating Change,” which echoed the need to accelerate change through partnership and cooperation.
He said the Company practiced regular testing of water samples to ensure that they met the World Health Organization’s Standards and that of the Ghana Standards Authority.
Mr Martey said the Company had set up a Low-Income Community Support Department with a vision to create a utility in which all city residents, especially the poor, women and girls who lived in low income, informal settlements and slums could enjoy affordable, safe water and hygiene services of high standard.
“The GWCL is currently implementing ISO 9001:2015 quality management system which seeks to prioritise customer satisfaction in all aspects of the company’s activities.”
“GWCL adheres to strict quality control measures to ensure the safety of the water we provide”, he said.
He noted that the Company had collaborated with partners such as the World Bank and WaterWorX which had developed numerous interventions and contributed positively to GWCL’s mission of meeting the increasing demand for better water services through efficient management.
However, he said Illegal mining activities, sand winning and pollution of river bodies were challenges causing high turbidity and increasing treatment and production costs, therefore, contributing to the high tariffs on water bills.
Water theft of all forms such as illegal connections of water pipelines and meter by-passes was also a challenge that contributed to unaccounted for water, hence, reducing sales and revenues, he added.
He charged the people to “report people who engage in such illegal activities to any GWCL facility nearby or any Police Station.”
Mrs Suzzy Abaidoo, WASH Programme Officer at the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources said, the Ministry was working tirelessly to ensure that water resources were protected and preserved.
She said the Ministry through one of its implementing measures had collaborated with the Water Resources Commission and developed the buffer zone policy to address human activities which happened close to the banks of water bodies.
“Drinking water is available not only in terms of quantity but also making all the efforts to ensure its safety from the source and direct to the point of use.”
She urged the public to desist from activities that pollute water bodies, stop open defecation, hence use toilet facilities and practice water hygiene.
“Let us be the change we want to see by taking the responsibility of using water wisely”, she said.
GNA