¢100 to boost water supply in G. Accra, Ashanti.

Back (lead) April 12, 2008

Story: Charles Benoni Okine

TWO major water projects in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions will kick-off by June this year at a total cost of over $100 million to boost potable water supply in the two regions.
The projects involve the rehabilitation of the Owabi and Barekese water treatment plants in the Ashanti Region to add 6.0 million gallons more, and improvements on the old Kpong Water Works in the Greater Accra Region.
The Accra rural project, dubbed the ATMA Rural Water Supply System, is in two parts (North and South of Kpong), and will produce a total of 9.3 million gallons a day.
Mr Michael Agyemang, Chief Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), told the Daily Graphic that the projects would soon begin and were expected to curb the water shortage problems in the two areas.
He said new water transmission lines would be laid in Kumasi, and that the high lift pumping station would also be modernised and expanded,” adding that “the present production capacity stands at 21 million gallons against a demand of 30 million gallons a day”.
Mr Agyemang further said the project also involved the construction of a new water booster station with a reservoir while there would also be the rehabilitation and extension of distribution networks of various sizes.
He said the company was also ensuring that users of the facility were metered to enable the company to recoup its investment under the project.
As a result, he said, there would be installation of 20,000 consumer meters, installation of zonal meters and small booster stations for high elevation areas while a sludge treatment plant would also be constructed.
About the ATMA Rural project, Mr Agyemang gave the scope of works in the South of Kpong project to include construction of reservoirs, distribution and transmission pipelines, as some of the works to be undertaken.
He said 6.2 million gallons of water was expected to be produced, and expressed the hope that the inhabitants to be supplied would have enough to carry out their activities.
Mr Agyemang said the North of Kpong project would have similar works undertaken but that would produce 3.1 million gallons a day.
Areas to benefit from the two projects are Dawa, Dawhenya, Michael Camp, Afienya and Kpone where the government’s affordable housing project was presently being undertaken.