Fishing threatens Kpeve Water Station

Kpeve, March 20, GNA - Fish farming and drag net fishing in the supply pool of the Kpeve Water Pumping Station pose serious challenges to water production at the head works. Mr Philip Dwamena-Boateng, Volta Regional Production Manager of Aqua Vitens Rand Limited, was briefing 41 pupils of the Ho Depot Junior High School (JHS) after their guided tour of the Kpeve plant to mark World Water Day in the Volta Region on Friday. Aqua Vitens Rand Limited is the contracted manager of Ghana Water Company (GWC), facilities throughout the country. Mr Dwamena-Boateng said chemicals being introduced into the pool by these fishermen might force the company to vary its treatment system at an additional cost to maintain the level of quality of water from Kpeve. He explained that operational designs for water pumping stations were unique to the landscape, nature and level of impurities in the water to be treated so that the introduction of chemicals as in the case of Kpeve created serious problems. Mr Daniel Gezele, Station Manager, told the Ghana News Agency that all efforts to convince the fishermen to desist from fishing in the area had failed.

Mr Joseph Afeti, a Plant Operator, took the pupils through the water production system, from the gravitational intake stations when the water table is high to the pontoon drawn system when the level is low and then through the treatment plant. He asked the pupils to go back to educate their peers, friends and parents on the need to conserve water, which is not a limitless resource and expensive to produce in the potable form. The Kpeve Station, built some 20 years ago to supply water to the Ho Municipality, appears in need of urgent infrastructure beef-up, as wooden frames rot and a re dropping, electrical wirings droop and walls visibly soaked with water.

Mr David Mintah Adomako, Ho District Commercial Officer, said revenue collection had been improving progressively. He said the consumer was increasingly becoming the focus of production improvement strategies as seen in the refurbished revenue offices throughout the region.

Mr Edward Ankpi, Acting Human Resource Manager, said Aqua Vitens Rand Limited had brought vim in the operations of water facilities in the region.

He said the in-house and out-house series of training had increased the capacities of the technical and administrative staff to the level of a premium utility company. 20 March 09