The Ghana Water Company (GWC) is to lay off its security personnel and other category of workers to prepare grounds for the final privatization of the company in due course.

The debt stricken company would first engage the service of a private company to handle the security aspect and the company will in turn recruit personnel either from among the laid off workers of GWC or take different people from outside bases on merit. This was disclosed by the Ashanti Regional Chief Manager of GWC, Mr. Ken Baffoe Maison at a press conference to formally launch this year's World Water Day under the theme "Water and Health" in Kumasi.

He said the region, which has 25 water systems, will be divided among the GWC and District Assemblies (DA) with the former operating 8 of the systems and the latter also handling the remaining 17. According to Mr. Maison, community water management to be given to the district assemblies will pave the way for interested individuals to also bid for water management.

The company workers he said would be given the privilege either to part with the district assemblies and the incoming private companies to take over or stay with GWC who would be operating in the urban centres. He hinted that the public would not have to worry because tarriff increases are to be determined by the GWC and not the private companies who are to take over.

Commenting on this year's world water day, Mr. Maison said the celebration is to raise public awareness on the need to conserve water and to encourage government to take steps to protect fresh water supplies, which are being depleted by human activities the world over. Activities such as sand winning, cutting of trees, farming and developments along riverbanks and the dumping of human waste in catchment areas is fast becoming a problem since fresh water which is just two percent of the total water body on earth is being polluted.

Stakeholders, traditional rulers and the general public are being called to serve as watchdogs of water bodies in their areas. Mr. Maison said buildings by private developers on their plant site, which is posing serious problems to the operations of the company, would all be demolished.

He extended a plea to the Asantehene to warn the sub chiefs to stop leasing out land meant for GWC to individuals for construction and said court actions would soon be taken against sand and timber contractors who encroach on lands belonging to GWC.