Why Accra Has No Water
Monday February 08, 2010
By Lawrence Markwei
Lawrence Markwei
SOME parts of Accra have been hit by acute water shortage following the breakdown of the control panel of the Weija Headworks last Thursday.
The control panel helps to pump water from the dam to the reservoirs for treatment.
Communities worst hit include Dansoman, Korle Gonno, Abeka Lapaz, Kwashieman and Adabraka.
At about 3.30 p.m. when the Times got to the Headworks to ascertain the extent of the problem top officials of Aqua Vitens Rand Limited (AVRL) and Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) together with the Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr Hannah Bisiw, had all converged at the control room of the intake pump station, the main source of the problem.
Technicians were busily working in the electronic control panel to get the three pumps serving the intake room working.
Briefing the Times the acting managing director of GWCL, Mintah Aboagye, said about 2.00 p.m. on Thursday, one of the pipelines delivering water from the dam burst, splashing water all over the control room.
In the process the electronic gadget which controls the pumping got wet and eventually went off slopping all three pumps from operating.
Mr Aboagye said the intake pumps which were affected were the main source of the between 42 million and 45 million gallons daily water supply to Accra West.
He said though one of the intake pumps was still working its capacity of producing between 10 million and 15 millions gallons a day would not be enough to serve the communities affected.
He said all efforts to rectify the situation failed and GWCL was in touch with Ballest-Nedam, the Dutch company that installed the panel for help.
Posted under
Community
Comments
