Accra, Oct. 26, GNA - The erratic water supply to the Tamale Municipality and its environs would be solved by 2008.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang a week ago gave the green light to the Ghana Water Company Limited to execute a 44.9 million euros contract of works for the expansion of the Tamale Water Supply System with Messrs Biwater BV, the Ministry of Works and Housing said in a press release in Accra on Wednesday. The press release said a grant agreement for the project would, subject to Cabinet and parliamentary approval, be signed between the Ghana Government and ORET, the Netherlands Agency for International Cooperation, which is providing 50 per cent of the cost of the works in the form of a grant to Ghana.

The remaining 50 per cent is to be paid by the Government of Ghana. "The long hours that women and children have to spend searching for water will also be a thing of the past," the press release said. "The inhabitants of Tamale will at last breathe a sigh of relief as they will have access to clean, safe and reliable water."

Works for the project include an intake installation at Nawuni, raw water transmission pipeline from Nawuni to Dalun, installation of filters and clarifiers and high lift pumps at Dalun as well as construction of a water storage compound at Kukuo Yelpasi.

On completion, the project will improve the level of water coverage in Tamale and its environs and will meet the effective demand for water in the Municipality up to the year 2020.

The press statement said other benefits that the project is expected to deliver were an acceleration of business opportunities in tourism and food processing industries with their multiplier effects.