The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) is currently engaging some investors who have expressed interest in developing a water project estimated at £100million in the Keta constituency with funding from donor partners, Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Dr. Freda Prempeh, has told parliament.

This project, according to the Minister, is a long-term intervention that seeks to add a new 20,000 cubic metres per day (4.4MGD) water treatment plant at Agordome as part of the Keta Water Supply Expansion Project second-phase to supply beneficiary communities which include Konu, Seva and Anyako and their environs.

She also noted that in addition to the project, about 100km of DN 700mm transmission pipeline as well as storage reservoirs and 100km of varying sizes of distribution pipelines will be constructed to meet water demand up to the year 2045. The project will also improve the carrying capacity of some existing distribution pipelines, as well as upgrade the pump capacities of some booster pumping stations.

The minister’s remarks were in her answer to a question from the MP for Keta, Kwame Dzudzorli Gakpey, on the floor of the House.

“Konu, Siva and Anyako are communities in the Keta constituency currently supplied from community-managed boreholes and private hand-dug wells. These boreholes and hand-dug wells are unable to meet water needs of the communities due mainly to the poor ground-water quality (salinity) and poor yields from the existing boreholes.

“The water supply challenges of these communities were recently brought to the ministry’s attention for redress, and I tasked Ghana Water Limited to assess how these communities can be supplied with water. Samples taken in preliminary assessments done by GWL indicate some private boreholes at Heluvi, a community that is 4km from Anyano, have good water quality that can be explored to supply potable water to the three communities,” Dr. Prempeh further explained.

Meanwhile, as a short-term measure, the GWL intends to drill two mechanised boreholes at Heluvi and undertake pipeline extension work in the three communities to improve water supply in the areas. This project, according to the minister, is estimated at GH¢1.2million – to be funded by GWL from its Internally Generated Funds (IGF).

Similarly, the institution will as a medium-term intervention drill five additional boreholes and build ancillary structures to ensure sustainable water supply to the communities in the enclave, at an estimated cost of GH¢5million using its IGF as well.

US100m secured for Techiman Surface Water Supply System expansion

In a related development, Dr. Prempeh also revealed that government has secured a grant of US$100million from the Korean Exim Bank to finance expansion of the Techiman Surface Water Supply System.

Parliament granted approval for the loan agreement on November 5, 2020 and the agreement was signed on December 17, 2020.

The project is scheduled to be complete within 36 months from commencement, and is expected to supply potable water to communities including Tanoso, Kuntunse, Akomadan, Nkenkasu, Tacofiano, Techiman, Tuobodum, New Techiman, Ahansua, Tadieso, Afrantwo, Gyama, Krobo, Akrofrom, Aworowa and their surrounding environs.

According to the minister, the project entails rehabilitation of the existing raw water intake and water treatment plant; construction of a weir with a capacity of 550,000m on the Tano River; construction of a new intake and water treatment plant with a capacity of 17,000 cubic metres per day (3.8MGD); and construction of transmission pipelines with a total length of 25km.

Also included are: distribution of pipelines with a total length of 147km; construction of a booster pumping station; acquisition of service pipelines with meters; and the construction of public standpipes.

“The Techiman Surface Water Supply System that supplies water to the aforementioned communities was commissioned in 1997 and has an installed capacity of 4,500 cubic metres per day (1MGD). Over the years, the system has not seen any major rehabilitation and expansion to meet the ever-increasing water demand for the area. The water supply system is based on surface water (Tano River) and groundwater (obtained from mechanised boreholes).

“As a result of population and economic growth in the Techiman Municipality, it has become necessary to expand the existing water supply system to meet the current and future water demands of Techiman and some identified beneficiary towns.

Once the works commence and are completed, the water supply challenges of communities within Techiman and its environs will be a thing of the past,” the minister told the House in her answer to a question from the MP for Techiman North, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare.

“Evaluation of the Technical Proposals for shortlisted firms has been completed, and the evaluation report has been approved by the Korean Exim Bank. The contract for consultancy services has been prepared and sent to the Korean Exim Bank for their no-objection for Contract signature, and for the works to commence,” the minister added.