Koforidua, Oct. 9, GNA - Professor Kwabena Frimpong- Boateng, Chairman of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), has assured that the perennial water shortage of Koforidua and its environs would soon be a thing of the past due to progress of work on the new Koforidua water project.

He has therefore appealed to communities along the route of the pipelines to collaborate with the company working on the project to ensure that work is completed on scheduled. Prof. Frimpong- Boateng gave the assurance when members of the commission went on a fact finding and monitoring tour to the new Koforidua water project site at Kponyakope on Thursday to familiarize themselves with the work done so far.

The Commission also visited offices of the Ghana Water Company (GWC) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG). The new Koforidua water project, which was started in May 2007, would increase the existing Koforidua water plant capacity of 1.8 million gallons a day to 4 millions gallons when completed. Prof. Frimpong- Boateng said government was committed in ensuring that every citizen of Ghana enjoyed good drinking water, hence the construction of water projects in the country including the Kwanyako water system.

Briefing the Commission, Mr Allan Okomeng Mensah, Project Manager, said under the project, raw water would be sourced from the Volta Lake at Anyaboni, 8.5 kilometer from the treatment plant. He said the project was targeting a population of 227,000 under the phase one, which would be increased under the phase two. Mr Okomeng said under the phase two, areas such as Kukurantumi, New Tafo and Old Tafo would be connected to the project. At the ECG, Mr K. Arthur Forson, Regional Manager, expressed worry about rampant stealing of the company's cables in the region, especially in the Kwahu area. He said the situation was posing a big challenge to the expansion work of the company and therefore appealed to the general public to assist them to apprehend the culprits.