The Ghana Water Company Limited has revealed that if it is able to address most of the challenges affecting its operations, there would be no need for the country to import water.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, Managing Director of the company, Ing. Dr. Clifford Braimah, reiterated the need for the company to constantly engage with the public through the media to share with them its successes and challenges in the delivery of potable water.
Ing. Braimah also used the opportunity to call on the National Security outfit to see the illegal sourcing of water as a security threat and rise up to fight it in full force.
For his part, the Director for operations at the Ghana Water Company Ltd., Francis Akwesi Awotwe, has called on Ghanaians to desist from fetching water from broken down pipe lines, warning that such water is unclean and may contain germs and pathogens that can be detrimental to one’s health.
New Tariffs
Mr. Awortwe said that it is not the mandate of the Ghana Water Company Ltd. to review prices of water, but rather the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC).
He noted further that even for the PURC to come up with a review, it has to conduct its own independent research as well as consultations with various stakeholders.
“It is the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission that does that. Ours is to go to them and tell them that this is the losses we have made , the amount we were made to sell, this is how much we have obtained and so if you can do something about it, you will realise that they will immediately not react to it but will do underground checks and several consultations before finally giving us the green light, “he observed.
Successes Chalked
Mr. Awotwe outlined a number of successes chalked up under its current leadership, led by Ing Braimah.
He stated that the company, which was established in the year 1928 and privatized in 1965, has been embarking on major expansional upgrades since 2015 to better serve its customers. He claims that they began expansion work in Kpong, which now produces 180,000 cubit metres per year, up from 70,000 previously.
He said as a result of the hard work of the current leadership, the company has been able to establish a water treatment plant in Navrongo, which is intended to serve residents of Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region and its neighboring environs, which the president recently commissioned during his tour in the region.
Mr. Awotwe disclosed that some expansion work had been carried out in Konongo Barikese, among several others.
He revealed that through their internally generated findings, the company has been able to secure some heavy duty meters that read and do disconnection remotely, whereas a drone system has also helped the company in fast tracking meter readings. With the adoption of the drone system, he continued, the company can read approximately 500 meters in just a few minutes.
He stated that the company has also established its own commercial water manufacturing line that produces and sells 300ml and 750ml of bottled water, thereby generating extra revenue for the company.
