The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) has ordered the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) to suspend the intended shut down of the Kpong Water Treatmeant Plant until further notice.
The Management of GWCL earlier indicated that it will shut down the Kpong Water Treatment Plant, to allow contractors executing the Kpong Intake and Accra Tema Metropolitan Area Rural Rehabilitation and Expansion (ATMA) projects, undertake critical pipeline interconnections under the project due for completion in the next three months.
But in a press statement signed by the Director of Public Relations and External Affairs, Nana Yaa Jantuah , the PURC explained that the order had become necessary, considering the prevailing water crises in the Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area.
The PURC in that regard has asked the GWCL to provide it with the schedule of works and planned completion date for the repair to the transmission pipelines supplying water from Weija Plant and expansion for interconnection works at the Kpong Water Plant.
“GWCL shall furnish the Commission with its best estimation of time for normalization of water supply to consumers following the completion of rehabilitation works on the Weija-Accra and Tema –Accra Transmission pipelines and commencement of pumping water through the pipelines to be used by consumers,” it indicated.
The Commission also mandated the GWCL to give it details of the contingency measures the company intends to deploy to mitigate the impact of water shortages to Accra that would arise from the planned shut down of Kpong Water Works.
It further indicated that the GWCL shall provide the PURC with details of the contingency measures the company deployed to mitigate the impact of loss of supply to Accra arising from the faults on the transmission pipelines from the Weija Plant.
“In addition GWCL should furnish the Commission with a communication plan to inform consumers or customers on repairs at the Weija Transmission pipelines and the intended shut down of the Kpong Plant,” the statement added.
The PURC cautioned that failure by the GWCL to comply with the a directive makes it liable to committing an offense under section 38, 41 and 42 of the PURC (Act 538).
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana