The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has announced that it will be rationing water supply in some parts of the country as raw water sources deplete due to deforestation. According to a statement released by the company, consumers in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central Western and Northern regions may experience irregular water flow.
“With the onset of the dry season, the entire country is expected to face challenges with water supply because of the depletion of raw water from various water bodies,” the statement said.
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Speaking to the media, the Head of Communications for GWCL, Stanley Martey, explained that trees that provide cover to water bodies have been cut down due to farming activities. He also highlighted that pollution in water bodies has caused sedimentation, leading to a high rate of evaporation.
The GWCL management has therefore called on consumers to play their part in minimizing the impact of the situation. “It is currently difficult to determine when this irregular supply will end. GWCL has put in place resilient measures, and we also expect consumers to play their role so we can minimize the impact together,” Martey said.
He urged the public to conserve water by reducing their usage, fixing any leakages in their pipeworks, and reporting any issues with their water supply to the GWCL. He also assured that the company is working to address the situation and urged for patience as they work to improve the water supply.
Read the full details of GWCL's statement below:
GWCL to ration water in Greater Accra, other regions
With the onset of the dry season, the entire country is expected to experience challenges with water supply because of the depletion of raw water from the various water bodies. As a result, consumers may encounter an erratic flow of water in some parts of the country, especially the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Western and Northern Regions.
The Management of the Ghana Water Company Limited wishes to assure the consuming public, that it has put in measures to ameliorate the situation. Management, therefore, wishes to call on all to be part of the solution, hence, consumers are advised to strictly adhere to the following conservation measures;
- Cease indiscriminate watering of lawns with treated water,
- Moderate the use of treated water for car washing by resorting to 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. (the little drops also swell your water bills.)
- Report all burst pipes and leakages immediately to the nearest GWCL District offices, Customer Service Centers and Fault Offices.
- Report all persons engaged in illegal connections, by-passes, and all malpractices against GWCL.
- You can also send google GPS locations, pictures and videos of the burst and leakages on the GWCL WhatsApp lines 0555123393, 0555155524, (WhatsApp information only and not calls)
- The public can call GWCL on these numbers; 0207385089, 0207385090. The toll-free line is 0800 40 000 for Vodafone cell and landlines only and 0302 218240 for all other networks.
The GWCL has currently resorted to Water Demand Management to ensure equitable distribution of water from the various treatment plants. All District Offices have been requested to announce to customers, the days on which water will be flowing so customers can store water.
During dry seasons, consumers resort to the use of treated water for keeping lawns green, for commercial washing of vehicles etc. currently 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 pressures and no flow in some areas, especially the hilly areas.
Management of GWCL is very much concerned about the impact of the dry season on the raw water sources, which has been compounded by the excessive pollution of the water bodies and wishes to assure the public that, the company, together with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, and allied Ministries, are working assiduously to improve on raw water resources in the Country.
The cooperation of the public is greatly appreciated.
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