Kumasi to experience improved water supply by November

Barekese (Ash), Oct. 19, GNA - Residents in the Kumasi Metropolis will soon enjoy some respite from perennial water shortages that has dogged the city with a daily injection of 27 million gallons as the Kumasi Water Rehabilitation and Expansion project comes to a close in November. The 37-million-euro Dutch government-sponsored project will allow for a 33 per cent increase in the essential utility to patrons and also in support of industrial growth of Ghana's second largest city. The current daily supply to the city is estimated at between 18 to 21 million gallons per day, far below the demands of the sprawling urban centre.

The Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Bongo who toured the project site on Friday to acquaint himself with progress of work, expressed satisfaction about what has been done so far, describing it as "good news" for the people of Kumasi. He said in view of the linkage between increased portable water supply and health, government was working assiduously in ensuring full capacity water delivery in the foreseeable future.

In this regard, he said, additional sources of funding were being explored to further expand the Kumasi water systems and boost supply to over 30 million gallons per day.

The expansion, which started in 2007, has as its object improving water supply to the metropolis to alter positively the health conditions of the people for improved productivity and longevity and it is being executed by Ballast Nedama, a Dutch firm. It involves rehabilitating the Barekese and Owabi Water Treatment facilities and augmenting distribution systems with the laying of 80 kilometres of new distribution lines to underserved communities such as Afranto, Oduom, Kenyase, Hemang and Sutreso. A novelty about the project, which is about 96 per cent complete, is the construction of a sludge facility to treat waste water for use as fertilizer for agricultural purposes.

Mr Abongo, accompanied by Madam Anima Wilson, Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, also toured the Suame reservoir which will hold 5,000 cubic metric of water and 2, 500 cubic metric reservoir at the newly constructed Achiase Booster station.

Mr Abongo also toured a refuse damp site near the Owabi River and directed the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly to relocate all such sites within the catchments of water sources. He said there was the need to keep raw water sources from waste products whose organic materials could be injurious to the health of patrons.