Sunyani (B/A) Jan. 15, GNA- Customers in the Brong Ahafo owe the Ghana Water Company a total of 2.5 billion cedis as at November last year, according to Mr. Kwabena Tabiri, Regional Commercial Officer of the Company. He cautioned defaulters to settle their bills or face the full rigours of the law.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Tabiri asked customers to use water wisely to help reduce water tariff adding that cost of water distributed to the people was heavily subsidized. Mr. Mark Teiko Codjoe, Regional Engineer of the Company, said it intended to organize a consumer education programme for women in the region on Friday, January 18, this year, at its water treatment plant at Abesim near Sunyani.

He explained that since women were the first and frontline users of water, there was the need to educate them about the effects of misuse of water to reduce high water bills.

Mr. Codjoe said the Company had setup a team to monitor the activities of car washing bay operators, who use the company's water to preserve water for domestic supply. He said the Company was working hard to provide all its customers with a meters to check illegal connections. Mr. Ralph Gafifie, Human Resource Manager of the Company, said bush burning and forest degradation, had changed the rainfall pattern in the region.

He advised farmers working along the banks of Tano River, the main source of water supply in the region, to stop engaging in illegal activities to protect the river drying up.