Agotime-Kpetoe, Sept. 15, GNA - A 4.1 billion cedis dual-system potable water facility has been completed for the people of Agotime-Kpetoe, in the newly created Adaklu-Anyigbe District in the Volta Region. It was constructed under the Community Water and Sanitation Agency's (CWSA) Small Towns Water Project for the Eastern and Volta Regions.

The facility has two units separately pumping water from two boreholes and the River Tordze into a 120-cubic-metre overhead reservoir for distribution. The German government, through its development agency, GTZ, bore 90 per cent of the project's cost, while the community and the Ho District Assembly paid the 10 per cent as commitment fee.

Mr William Acquah, Project Engineer, who took officials of CWSA and the community's Water Management Board on a preliminary inspection tour on Tuesday, said pumping from the boreholes would begin on Wednesday, September 15, this year. He said pumping from the facility on River Todze would however commence by the close of this month, after quality tests being carried out were completed.

Mr Acquah said, out of 12 boreholes dug in the town, only two produced results making it expedient to draw water from the murky waters of the River Tordze at an added cost for filtration and decolourisation. He said the two boreholes had the capacity to pump 10 cubic metres of water an hour, while the station on the River Tordze could pump 15 cubic metres an hour. Mr Acquah said it was conjectured that the current capacity of the facilities could meet water requirement of the area for the next 10 years. He said the community would manage the system under the technical supervision of the contractors for two weeks before it was finally handed over.

Mr Acquah said the contractors would be available for another year to correct defects free of charge, after which every aspect of management of the facility would fall on the Community's Management Board. He handed over a tools box, office furniture, a bucket full of chlorine and an aluminium ladder as back-up stock for the management team.

Mr Paul Sewor, Ho District Engineer of the CWSA advised community leaders to keep the 21 stand pipe sites, which have all been provided with soak-away, tidy at all times. He praised Top International Engineering Corporation, Ghana Limited, a Chinese company for working to specification.

Mr Stephen Kutu, Chairman of the Management Board was grateful for the project, which he said had been in the pipeline since 1999. He expressed gratitude to the Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), the local rural bank and individuals, who gave monies other than what they were levied to contribute. Other towns, which have so far benefited from Small Towns Water Supply Project in the Volta Region, are Adidome, Penyi, Dzodze, Akatsi, Kete-Krachi, Likpe-Mate, Vakpo, Nkwanta, Katanga and Ahamansu. 15 Sept. 04