Residents must be involved in waste management - TMA

The Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA) at the weekend called on residents to inculcate good waste management practices in their homes to avoid the intermittent spillage of sewer systems.

Mr. Frank Asante, TMA Public Relations Officer made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Tema after a spillage of a manhole in front of the Assembly.

He said the spillage was something the assembly was struggling with and needed the cooperation of residents to effectively manage it.

Mr. Asante said the issue of sewer spillage was a result of the increase in population and the wrong waste management practice within the Metropolis.

“The size of the pipelines used for the sewer system was for an estimated size of the population but now Tema had outgrown the size of the pipelines mounting a lot of pressure on it”, he said.

According to Mr. Asante, the pipes had been there since the inception of Tema.

He noted that the asbestos pipeline sewer system was weak and could not withstand the force of gravity, unlike PVC pipes that could withstand high pressure.

He mentioned that most of these pipelines were choked with the insoluble materials flushed into the chambers thereby causing the spillage.

“There are times when the rodding team goes to work on the spillage, we find cutlery, diapers and sanitary pads and old newspapers which had been the cause of the frequent spillage,” he said.

Adding that the residents should only flush soluble materials to enhance the free flow of the waste in the pipelines to help manage the constant sewer problem.

Speaking on the measures taken by the Assembly to permanently resolve the spillage problems, the PRO said, Zoomlion Ghana Limited had come on board to revamp the treatment plants with modern pipes to match the growing population within the Metropolis.

“Currently Zoomlion is refurbishing the treatment plants at Community three, they will change the sewage lines with bigger pipes immediately they complete that work so we would all have a good waste management system”, he said.

He added the Assembly had revamped and resourced the Rodding Team to swiftly fix spillage challenges to promote avoid pollutions in the area.

Mr. Asante appealed to the public and businesses around to be each other’s keeper and help the Assembly to promote good sanitation practice within the Metropolis.