Early warning: GWCL to spill excess water from Weija Dam

The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) says with the onset of the rains, it will soon begin spilling excess water from the Weija Dam.

The company is, therefore, calling on persons living downstream of the dam to evacuate the area to forestall any eventuality.

The communities likely to be affected include Tetegu, Oblogo, Pambros Salt, Lower McCarthy Hill, Lower Weija, Bojo Beach, Adakope, and surrounding communities.

The level of the Dam as of Friday 28th April, 2023 is 46ft, 1ft below the maximum safe operating level of 47ft, the GWCL said in a statement signed by Mr Stanley Martey, Chief Manager, Public Relations and Communication.

“The dam levels are monitored on an hourly basis and the GWCL will not hesitate to open the spill gates, should the level go above 46.5ft, so as not to compromise the integrity of the dam and to avert any disaster,” it cautioned.

Scores of residents in the municipality were displaced following a similar spillage of the Dam in October last year.

In the wake of the flooding, Mr Eric Nana Agyemang Prempeh, Director-General, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), said houses built on waterways in the Municipality would be demolished “immediately” the flood receded.

He said it had become necessary to maintain buffers of the Weija Dam to contain water whenever there was spillage.

Months down the line, the Ghana News Agency checks reveal that there are buildings still on waterways – a situation that has compelled the GWCL to issue an early warning.

The company said the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly had been informed to desilt the estuary to enable easy flow of the water into the sea and to clear heaps of refuse along the course of the river.

It said: “The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), National Security, Chiefs of Weija, Ogblogo, Tetegu, Weija, Gbawe, opinion leaders and all stakeholders including institutions and organizations who have properties downstream have been informed of the development and current situation at the dam.”

“Management of GWCL expects that the public will be supportive in this exercise to avoid a reoccurrence of the disaster that has occurred in the past,” it added.

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