Dry season, power challenges contributing to water shortages – GWCL

The Ghana Water Company Limited has admitted to distribution challenges that have led to some communities being without water.

Its Managing Director, Clifford Braimah, said the company is currently struggling with the combined factors of the dry season and high demand.

“Demand has increased, and you have the same quantity of supply. Ultimately, if you share it among the population, the capita will go down and that is one of the reasons,” he said.

Mr. Braimah also blamed their issues on power challenges saying it is a “very big problem”.

“Of late, we have had some power challenges and all our systems are connected to the national grid so any time you have a power problem, even if it is five minutes, it will take us hours to build up our pressure.”

Mr. Braimah also indicated that this has contributed to water plants producing below capacity resulting in a “huge gap” between demand and supply.

“In Tamale, for example, we have 45,000 cubic metres capacity but because of the electricity fluctuations, sometimes we do 28,000 cubic metres.”

“At a point last year we even did 16,000 cubic metres,” he added.

The Ghana Water Company supplies water to mainly urban areas and Mr. Braimah indicated that there are about 12 million persons connected for water supply.

These persons are currently on a ration schedule, he added.

“What we need to do is ration the water so that almost a bigger population will touch our water within a week.”

Questioned on why the public was not aware of the rationing schedules, Mr. Braimah said various district offices had the schedule and were also supposed to be sensitising communities.

“They use their vans. They have telegrams for their customers, and they put those things on,” he said.

In addition, Mr. Braimah said there were call centres the public could use for enquiries.

On the prospects of improved water supply, Mr. Braimah shied away from providing an end date for the water rationing.

But he said the situation will improve “very soon.”

“ECG is assuring that power will stabilise very soon so a lot of things will improve and some of these things will improve.”