GWCL to introduce prepaid metres to customers

Mr K. Dovlo, acting Managing Director, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), has said prepaid metres could be introduced to customers to help monitor the use of water by the general public.

He said the company has set up a committee to work out the modalities for the introduction of such prepaid metres and was expected to come out with their recommendations by the end of the year.

Speaking during a staff durbar on a merger between the GWCL and the Ghana Urban Water limited (GUWL) on Monday, he said the GWCL was currently in discussions with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on the successful introduction of such metres.

He said the introduction of the prepaid metres would make the work of GWCL easier as it would make consumers pay before services were rendered to them.

Mr E.T. Mensah, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, said the lack of funds to expand the water infrastructures and the replacement of obsolete equipment and managerial ineptitude were some of the challenges facing the two companies.

He said the merger of the two companies had come about in an effort to improve on the quality of services they render to customers.

GUWL was formed by government on a temporary basis after the expiration of its contract with Aqua Vitens Rand Limited in 2011 to take over the company’s role of providing water for urban areas.

“The amalgamation of GWCL and the GUWL into a single national utility, with the head office playing the role of an asset holding authority, we believe would be good for the country”, he said.

He said an implementation team had been formed to oversee the merger and had up to February 2013 to come out with its report and assured the staff of both companies that jobs would be affected because of the merger.

Mr Mensah appealed to the staff to support the acting managing director in his work as Mr Kweku Botwe, Managing Director had had taken his accumulated leave.

Mr. Senyo Amenyo, acting Managing Director, GUWL, said the installation of two 10 MVA transformers at Weija headworks and another two 10MVA transformers for Kpong headworks which are yet to be installed, and the purchase of pumping equipment at Konongo, Agordome, near Sogakokpe and Kpeve as some of the achievements of the GUWL.