According to the Ghana Water Company Limited, they are experiencing some challenges with water supply in Accra and most parts of the country due to the onset of the dry season, and that “the situation has led to intermittent water supply in most cities and towns in the country.”

A statement released by the management of GWCL advised the general public to be measured in their consumption of water while the Water Company addresses the challenges.

[contextly_sidebar id=”MszwHBvVaVYBbtRtDCHQJOEbkx0vWtt8″]“It must be emphasized that during this season, a number of consumers resort to the use of treated water for keeping lawns green, for commercial washing of vehicles etc. The dry season is on and consumers with greater dependence on rainwater have also compounded the problem by taking to treated water use. These practices ease the pressures in the pipelines thereby causing low pressure and no flow in some areas, especially areas located in high elevations.”

“Management of GWCL is very much concerned about the serious impact of the water situation in the country and wish to assure the general public that, the company is working assiduously to undertake the necessary steps aimed at improving the water delivery in the Country,” the statement added.

GWCL further advised consumers to cease indiscriminate watering of lawns with treated water, be moderate in the use of treated water for car washing by using buckets instead of hosing, shut all taps when not in use, repair all leakages in your homes, like overflowing reservoirs and dripping taps, valves, etc, and also report all burst pipes and leakages immediately to the nearest GWCL district offices, Customer Service.

“Management of GWCL, wishes to advice the general public that it is doing its utmost best to solve the water situation in the country, but as patriotic citizens, we need to desist from Antisocial and unacceptable behaviors like the use of in-line pumps, illegal connections, and by passes. Let us pay our bills promptly and help GWCL to serve you better,” the statement noted.

Whereas water shortages have been recorded in various parts of the country in recent times including, Koforidua, Kumasi, Tamale, Sunyani among others, not much of that has been experienced for a longer period in Accra.

Below is the full statement from GWCL:

Dry season water conservation

The Management of Ghana Water Company Limited wishes to announce that with the onset of the dry season, we are experiencing some challenges with water supply in Accra and most parts of the country.

We are sorry to inform the consuming public that, the situation has led to intermittent water supply in most Cities and Towns in the country.

It must be emphasized that during this season, a number of consumers resort to the use of treated water for keeping lawns green, for commercial washing of vehicles etc. The dry season is on and consumers with greater dependence on rainwater have also compounded the problem by taking to treated water use. These practices ease the pressures in the pipelines thereby causing low pressure and no flow in some areas, especially areas located in high elevations.

Management of GWCL is very much concerned about the serious impact of the water situation in the Country and wish to assure the general public that, the company is working assiduously to undertake the necessary steps aimed at improving the water delivery in the Country.

To help the company through this critical period, consumers are advised to strictly observe the following water conservation measures:

• Cease indiscriminate watering of lawns with treated water,
• Moderate the use of treated water for car washing through the use of buckets

Instead of hosing,

• shut all taps when not in use,
• Repair all leakages in your homes, like overflowing reservoirs and dripping taps, valves, etc
• Report all burst pipes and leakages immediately to the nearest GWCL district offices, Customer Service centres, Fault Offices, and via the GWCL customer App which is also available on google playstore on android cell phones and applestore on iPhones and Tablets or GWCL whatsapp lines (0555123393, 0555155524, 0207385088, 0207385089, 0207385090. You can google locations, pictures and videos of the burst
• Report all persons engaged in illegal connections, by-passes, and all malpractices against GWCL

Management of GWCL, wishes to advice the general public that it is doing its utmost best to solve the water situation in the country but as patriotic citizens, we need to desist from Antisocial and unacceptable behaviors like the use of in-line pumps, illegal connections, and by passes. Let us pay our bills promptly and help GWCL to serve you better.

The cooperation of the general public is greatly appreciated.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post GWCL to ration water as dry season affects supply appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Affected residents are now trekking several distances in search of water for domestic use.

Residents in areas such as; Asawase, Sawaba, Aboabo, Asafo, Asokwa, Adum, Nhyiaeso, Ahodwo, Kwadaso, Patasi, Santasi, Fankyinibra, TUC, Anloga, Ayigya Tech, Odoum and Kentikrono are the hardest hit.

The GWCL, issued a press statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Samsom Ampa, said, “Emergency maintenance works in the system could not be completed by GWCL engineers on Tuesday, due to some technical challenges. However, our engineers are working hard to complete the work after which supply will be restored.”

Citi News checks at some of these affected areas revealed that residents including children as young as five years were combing the areas in search of water.

One of the residents said, “It is really affecting us because we cannot get potable water to drink. This one as you can see, there are so many impurities in it. I have walked for about 200 meters to come here to fetch water. They should open the water for us because we are struggling. If you want to drink water you have to buy sachet water and it’s not everybody who can afford.”

Another said he will not be enable to go to school if he does not get the water since he needs to bath in the morning.

Residents in other affected areas Citi News visited had queued at dug Bore-holes and wells struggling to get water.

Water from these sources according to the residents, was unwholesome for drinking.

Meanwhile, the GWCL has made alternative arrangements for hospitals with the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) until the situation is normalized.

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By: Hafiz Tijani/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Water shortage hits parts of Kumasi [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The bank commissioned the boreholes in the T. I. Ahmadiyya Senior High School at Adansi Fomena, Bonwire Senior High School in Bonwire and one at Kaase.

This gesture is part of the Royal Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility of providing 60 boreholes nationwide each year.

Mr. Faustel Asogba Coffie, Board Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Royal Bank Foundation was hopeful that “this will make a great impact and this is our dream and that of the founder, because his upbeat is to make sure that you do not wait for people to fall sick before you get them healed.”

He encouraged those to whom the boreholes were handed over, to “take good care of the borehole, I wish you could set up a committee or a group of persons who will take care of it and see to its maintenance, keep the surroundings clean, and remember water is life.”

The Kaase community, a slum in the capital, had been without potable water for decades and residents relied mainly on sachet water for all activities including bathing.

The residents in the area expressed gratitude to the bank for the gesture, with the elders pledging to take proper care of the borehole.

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By: Lauretta Timah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Royal Bank provides boreholes in Ashanti Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The facility now depends on the services of water tankers to assist its activities due to irregular supply of water from the Ghana Water Company.

The situation according to the Medical Director of the Bolgatanga Regional Hospital, Dr. Patrick Atobrah, is taking a toll on their daily operations especially delays in maternal and surgical operations.

He said although the hospital intends to construct additional boreholes to augment the situation, the rationing of water leaves them with no option except to buy from water tankers to render services.

“The water situation has not changed much, the water from the Ghana Water Company is very irregular, so we depend a lot more on tanker services that is what pertains now to offer services in the facility. We buy water most of the time through the tanker services, but the challenge is that, then you cannot get the water running through the taps, but we only pour the water into our poly-tank  for maternity and surgical operations. But we are considering getting some boreholes, the challenge has been getting a place to get enough water. As at now, we have dig two boreholes, but the yield is not enough so we will still depend on tankers services,” Dr. Atobrah stated.

Meanwhile, the Chief Managing Director of the Upper East Regional branch of the Ghana Water Company Limited, Kenneth Ennin, told Citi News the rationing of water to residents in the Bolgatanga Municipality and its environs, was due to high demand for water against supply capacity.

He said the influx of people from other districts of the region into the Bolga Municipality coupled with obsolete water treatment plants have necessitated the exercise.

“As far as the water supply situation especially Bolgatanga and others areas are concerned, we are able to supply an average capacity of four thousand cubic meters, but then, with the occasional conflict in Bawku there has been an influx of so many people coming from Bawku and other border towns coming to settle in Bolgatanga.”

“This means that, there now undue pressure on demand, so if you compare our situation of supplying 4,000.00 cubic meters of water against anticipated demand of 7,000.00 cubic meters, gives us a deficit of 3,000.00 cubic meters. The deficit has led to the rationing of water supply on daily basis in order to close the 3,000.00 cubic meters water supply gap, so we have zoned up all our catchment areas for the rationing exercise.”

Mr.  Ennin added that; even though his outfit is uncertain when the situation will return to normalcy, he appealed to government to urgently upgrade the water supply facilities in the region.

He also stated that, the VEA and Tono dams from where the treatment and supply of water for consumption take place, will be secured from any negative human activity.

Mr. Ennin expressed worry at the obsolete state of the 40-year old raw water line plant affecting the production capacity, but stressed that, efforts are far afoot to replace the plant for optimal production.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post GWCL water rationing affecting healthcare – Bolga Hospital appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The treatment plant which takes water from the Birim River which flows from the Atewa Forest to be treated and supplied for both domestic and residential usage, has been badly affected by the activities of galamsey operators who mine gold in the lands and forest of Kyebi.

[contextly_sidebar id=”OGxJ5JimbHF3jxsNvUDcdgIHOK3tstSz”]When Citi News visited the place to assess the extent of damage, students who were supposed to be in school were seen with bowls and bucket queuing at a borehole to fetch water.

It is understood that the borehole situated close to the Presbyterian church is now the only source of water supply to the entire Kyebi community where people from far away communities hire taxi cabs to come and fetch water with gallons.

In an interview with Citi News, Honery Ametekpey, the Municipal water company manager at Kyebi, revealed that their decision to shut down the water treatment plant was due to the uncontrollable effects the activities of galamsey operators is having on their operations as it is harming the efficiency of their machines.

He said “for the past one month, we have not been able to supply the people of Kyebi with potable water, the activities of galamsey operators have rendered our work useless in this municipality. Before we treat the water, we look at the turbidity of the water you are going to treat, the maximum we are supposed to treat is 200, but as at today, it is 4,600, we tried treatment when it was around 1000, but now it has gone overboard because of the activities of the galamsey operators.”

He added that, the people of Kyebi are now struggling because they cannot get good water to use for their daily lives.

“My great concern is with the two secondary schools here, I went this morning to access the situation and to speak to the headmistress on how we can help, but I found out that students had queued in their uniforms fetching water during classes hours.”

Mr. Ametekpey thus called on all stakeholders to be involved in fighting galamsey.

“This situation can be worsened in a short time, for us to make a headway, the government should assemble a huge number of military personnel to come and take charge of this area for one month to clamp down on galamsey operators and I believe this will help us.”

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kyebi left with single borehole as treatment plant shuts down appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Currently, residents are resorting to dams, boreholes and water from tankers as the Yendi water treatment plant is low on water.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Hab8d85bUGqEb1d5hUWa3vhXWOBYT8nz”]The source of water for the plant, the River Dakar, has dried up due to detrimental human activity along its banks, leading to siltation, according to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), which is hoping for early rainfall to bring some relief.

The Public Relations Officer for the GWCL, Nii Abbey, revealed the situation to Citi News, and said his outfit was in the short-term, policing the banks of the river while assisting with water supply from tankers.

“The water levels in Yendi, as far as the River Dakar is concerned, is very low and this has to do with the rate of evaporation and the human activity there. What we have been able to do as a company is that we are liaising with the municipal assembly to patrol the river whilst the company will be mounting polytank at vantage points.”

“People are farming so close to the river banks. The same river we are drawing from is the same river people are using for other things… so it has caused a lot of siltation in the river and this is also affecting our production.”

River Dakar not sufficient

Ultimately, Mr. Abbey explained that the River Dakar could not meet the needs of the Yendi Township hence the need for a new treatment plant, probably on the River Oti.

“The truth of the matter is that, the growth of the Yendi Township today far outstrips the supply we are doing and so going forward, the long-term plan will be to have a new treatment plant on the River Oti because the River Oti has enough volumes of water which we can rely on as compared to the River Dakar.”

“So our proposal for the long-term is that we have a new treatment plant on the River Oti, and it can take care of the growing demand of the Yendi township.”

Effects of sand winning, illegal mining on water

Illegal mining has ravaged some major rivers in the Eastern and Brong Ahafo Regions, leading to the shut down of some treatment plants that rely on affected rivers.

But Mr. Abbey was happy to note that,  his region did not have issues with illegal mining. The problem his outfit has to contend with, however sand winning.

“Sand winning is happening seriously on both the River Dakar and the White Volta, where we also do some extraction for the Tamale Township. For the past three years, this has been going on and the way things are going its likely that towards the end of this month or early April, we will be in a crisis as far as Yendi is concerned. That is if we don’t get early rains.”

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Yendi Township faces water crisis as River Dakar dries up appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The situation, according to residents, has made life unbearable and difficult compelling most of them to resort to the use of unsafe and unwholesome sources of water for their survival, coupled with its attendant health implications.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Keg3jD4yGGq9ovBcCsnNf95zWvCBCcGN”]The most affected areas are depending on the Abesim water pump to supply water from the Tano River, forcing other residents to resort to water sourced from polluted dams and ponds for domestic purposes.

The situation is gradually crippling commercial activities as Restaurant operators, Hotels, Car washing bays, laundry service providers are in distress. Students are also forced to trek for several miles to fetch water from Ponds and Dams.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Chief Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Engineer Charles Brobbey in an interview with Citi News, explained that the region was experiencing the shortage as a result of inadequate rainfall this year, bad attitude of residents who indiscriminately fell trees, dumping of refuse and farming on river banks, and illegal mining along the tributaries of the Tano River.

He lamented the situation has led to the reduction of the volumes of water produced daily by the company by half, and distribution of water from 1.6million gallons to 800,000 by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).

Engineer Charles Brobbey further explained that, the sources of water for treatment and distribution in that part of the region, is from the Tano River which is almost dried up, compelling the Abesim water treatment plant to reduce production.

He dispelled the notion that his outfit run short off chemicals to process and treat water for consumption, saying they haven’t had any breakdown of machines as alleged. He appealed to residents to exercise restraint as the company works to restore permanent water supply to satisfy residents.

The Regional Manager said in the interim, the company was implementing a rationing system in the supply of water until the situation is restored to normalcy, and advised residents to conserve and use water wisely.

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By: Mashoud Kombat/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Acute water shortage hits Sunyani and its environs appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

There is a severe water shortage in the school due to the indebtedness of the school to the Ghana Water Company.

[contextly_sidebar id=”AHl2CwRygckki3O8rGFidpsjkp9PrSuY”]Following Citi News’ report, the Chairman of the Parent-Teacher Association (P.T.A.), Gameli Ahorlu, is asking government to assist in defraying the accrued debt, and also provide alternative source of water to the school to reduce its utility bills.

According to Gameli Ahorlu, the P.T.A. in 2014 levied students to help pay for accrued debts to Ghana Water Company, and the Electricity Company of Ghana, but were later directed to withdraw the levies because it contravenes a Ministry of Education’s Policy Guideline, which makes government liable for the payment of utility bills in second cycle institutions.

“The Ministry of Education summoned the Headmaster, the Accountant and the PTA Chairman to a constituted committee in the Ministry to explain why students should be charged. The committee demanded the withdrawal of the charge by referring to the policy guideline on fees for second cycle institutions.”

He said government following the directive, did little to subsidize the outstanding bills thus resulting in the current situation where water and electricity is being rationed in the school.

He said the PTA again made efforts to defray the debts, but it was woefully inadequate.

“The PTA contributed GHC 10,000 to a GHC 30,000 paid by the school to help restore services, but this was woefully inadequate”.

Mr. Ahorlu said the PTA together with the School Management, is considering undertaking a borehole project in the school to ameliorate the situation, as they look forward to an intervention by government.

The School Management in an interview with Citi News assured parents and the general public of the necessary steps being taken to curb the situation.

They however denied claims that the water shortage is affecting feeding in the school.

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By: King Norbert Akpablie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Mawuli SHS cries to gov’t over water shortage appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The hard hit areas include Koforidua, Tafo, Kukurantumi, Anyinase, Masi, Oseim and Suhum.

Residents have been compelled to rely on sachet water, dugout wells, streams and boreholes for water for domestic activities.

Mr Martin K Ansah, the Eastern Regional production manager of Ghana Water Company Limited told Citi News the problem was as a result of power outage which has affected the starting method of the pumps which picks water from the Volta Lake to the intake station.

“There was a power outage and after the power was restored some machines were affected but since Saturday we have done all we can using our engineering expert’s but the problem still remains.”

He added that “this is not the first time that we have experienced power outage but with this particular incident we have done all we can since Saturday so we have taken the decision this morning to bypass the variable speed drive start and use the traditional method to start the pump”.

Mr Martin K Ansah explained that their engineers are currently working tirelessly to restore water supply back to the affected areas but pleaded with the residents to exercise patience while they work on ensuring the restoration of water to their homes.

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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Water shortage hits parts of Eastern Region appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

He bemoaned the traditional attitude of sidelining local geniuses while they are alive and only honouring them when they are no more.

He made this call when he addressed the press on Wednesday at the outdooring of his car assembling factory at Gomoa Mponta.

He appealed to government and other African leaders to come to his aid because “in two years, I would have rolled out so many cars at a very cheap cost because of the parts of my car are assembled here in Ghana.”

Apostle Sarfo promised to deliver to the amazement of everyone if he gets the needed support.

“Government should help me to help you all because I am not in it to make profit as others are but to develop Africa,” he clarified.

Meanwhile, the President of the Ghana Institute of Engineering Technology and board member of the Council for Technology and Vocational Education and Training (COVET),  Rev. Engineer Eric Ankrah revealed that government is in the process of giving Apostle Sarfo accreditation to train more people.

He indicated that the decision is in line with government’s policy of competency based training.

He Rev. Ankrah mentioned that government has realized Apostle Sarfo work is in line with the competency based training government has started and it is going to be the vibrant background that we will support because government needs those skills.”

He promised that “COVET will assist everybody; whether you graduated from a vocational school or a Polytechnic such that your skills such that your skills will be useful to the society.”

By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Help me to train more people – Apostle Kwadwo Sarfo to govt appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.