Director of Public Relations at Ghana Water Limited, Stanley Martey
Ghana Water Limited has announced it will soon embark on an exercise to replace all faulty and worn-out machines at the Dalun Water Treatment Plant to improve the water supply system to the Tamale Metropolis.
According to the company, this is part of short-term measures to solve the water crisis in the Tamale Metropolis.
The Northern Regional capital has been experiencing a perennial water crisis for two years now. The situation gets worse during the dry season, with residents either travelling several kilometres to access mostly unsafe water for domestic use or buying water from private water suppliers at exorbitant prices.
The water company blames their inability to supply water to many parts of the city on population growth, frequent power outages and old and worn-out machines at the treatment plant, which affect the production of water at full capacity.
Stanley Martey, Director of Public Relations at Ghana Water Limited, told journalists in Tamale on Wednesday, after the water resources minister, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, paid a working visit to the region, that replacing the worn-out machines is part of short-term measures to scale up production in the area.
He said that as part of the long-term measures, the government was working assiduously to commence the Tamale Water Expansion project to find a lasting solution to the water crisis.
Martey said, “Because of the old nature of the treatment plant, we’re able to produce somewhere around 8 million gallons of water daily. The demand for water within the Tamale Metropolis is around 27 million gallons of water daily, so there’s a serious deficit; we’re only able to supply about 30 per cent of the population. So it’s essential that the treatment plant is expanded.”
“…But in the interim, we’ll put in a short-term to medium-term measure. What we’ll do is to change the pumps at the Dalun Treatment Plant while we’re working on building a new treatment plant.”
The minister paid a courtesy call on the Overlord of Dagbon, Ndan Ya Naa Abukari II, at the Gbewaa Palace in Yendi, where he reassured the King on the NDC government’s commitment to addressing the water crisis in the Tamale Metropolis and Yendi Municipality.
He said that the Tamale and Yendi Water projects were important promises of President Mahama, disclosing that the President has tasked him to do everything possible to permanently resolve the situation.
“During the campaigns, he mentioned that before his tenure ends, Tamale and Yendi Water issues are going to be resolved, and I’m here to reiterate it on his behalf that it will definitely be done before His Excellency’s tenure ends,” the minister said.
He added that “We’re doing the necessary engagements to ensure that when we come on site and we start the project, it’s not going to be like what we’ve seen before, but the moment we come and start, we’ll see to it that we finish it.”
Ndan Ya Naa Abukari II commended the government for making the Tamale and Yendi Water project a priority.
He said, “To get the projects started early enough is what we are all praying for”, adding that the plan to source water from the White Volta for the southern part of Tamale will take the burden off Dalun.”
