Ghana is on water rationing – GWCL

Management of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has begun rationing water nationwide due to the low level of water at the treatment plant.

According to the Managing Director of GWCL, Clifford Braima, high demand and power challenges are contributing to water shortages.

“Of late, we have had some power challenges and all our systems are connected to the national grid so any time you have a power problem, even if it is five minutes, it will take us hours to build up our pressure.

“Demand has increased, and you have the same quantity of supply. Ultimately, if you share it among the population, the capital will go down and that is one of the reasons,” he told CitiNewsroom.

Questioned on why the public was not aware of the rationing schedules, Mr. Braimah said various district offices had the schedule and were also supposed to be sensitising communities.

“They use their vans. They have telegrams for their customers, and they put those things on,” he said.

Mr. Braimah also said his outfit is currently producing below capacity resulting in a “huge gap” between demand and supply.

“In Tamale, for example, we have 45,000 cubic metres capacity but because of the electricity fluctuations, sometimes we do 28,000 cubic metres.”

“At a point last year, we even did 16,000 cubic metres,” he added.

Mr. Braimah shied away from providing an end date for the water rationing as he said the situation will improve “very soon.”

“ECG is assuring that power will stabilise very soon so a lot of things will improve and some of these things will improve.”