Water shortage: GWCL targets 3-4 days’ supply as residents demand answers

Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is targeting three to four days of water supply per week in affected communities in parts of Greater Accra, after weeks of unreliable flow forced some households to buy water from alternative sources. The company is re-engineering its distribution system and working to restore the Teshie Desalination Plant to ease the shortages, while longer-term plans include expanding treatment capacity.

During a tour of affected communities in the Tema East region, residents welcomed recent improvements but called for sustained supply and better communication about interruptions. At Community 22 Junction, resident Alhaji Ali Ayornu reported a significant improvement in water pressure over the past few days, after periods of low-pressure nighttime flow.

“Water is our source of life. We are urging GWCL to sustain their efforts,” he said. Alhaji Ali Ayornu, Resident, Community 22 Junction In Ashaiman’s Moni Obaanye, residents also endured difficulties over the past three weeks, although water has begun flowing again in recent days. According to Juliana Tetteh, after contacting Ghana Water Company Limited, they learnt water was being rationed amid distribution challenges.

“The past few weeks have been difficult for residents, some of whom have had to carry gallons in search of communities with running water or pay for supplies from water tankers,” she recounted. At Bethlehem, resident Stephen Kweku Kemevor also recounted nearly three weeks without water, forcing residents to buy supplies elsewhere. He was also frustrated by the lack of information about the interruption.

“You can’t just shut off the water like that without any information. You have to update us so we can prepare. We pay our taxes and water bills, so you guys have to keep us informed. Your customer relations need improvement. It’s very, very bad,” he criticised. Stephen Kemevor, Resident, Bethlehem GWCL’s Head of Public Relations and Communications, Stanley Martey, attributed the challenges partly to the shutdown of the Teshie Desalination Plant, which serves eastern Accra, including Teshie-Nungua and Spintex.

Last year’s shutdown forced the company to redirect water from the Kpong Treatment Plant to affected communities, even though Kpong was already struggling to meet demand in its existing service areas. Mr Martey said engineers spent the past two weeks reconfiguring the distribution system after discovering that some communities were not receiving water despite the network having supplies.

However, he cautioned that the interventions would not immediately restore round-the-clock supply. “We are not promising that we are going to get water flow 24/7, but at least between three and four days in a week most of the areas are going to get it,” he said, adding that elevated communities could continue to face difficulties. GWCL plans to divide the affected areas into three zones and publish a water rationing timetable within one to two weeks to help residents know when to expect supply and store water accordingly.

On restoring the desalination plant as a key priority, he said President John Mahama had directed that efforts be accelerated, with GWCL negotiating with the plant’s private owners under a build, own, operate and transfer arrangement. According to him, restoring the facility could resolve between 80 and 90 % of the problem. Longer-term plans include a proposed treatment plant at Aveyime in the Volta region to serve the corridor towards Tema’s industrial area, alongside the Kpong Phase Two project, which is expected to add between 40 million and 60 million gallons of water to the system.