Mahama: I have fulfilled my water campaign promise

President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday stated that he had fulfilled his 2012 Campaign Promise to expand potable water services to more Ghanaians.

"In fulfillment of the pledge I made during my address last year to complete and deliver a number of major water projects, I am happy to report that on the eve of last year’s Christmas, I… commissioned the Kpong Water Expansion Project and opened the valve to commence the flow of 20 million gallons of water to households and businesses in the northeastern part of Accra."

President Mahama who was delivering his third Annual State of the Nation Address, said an additional 20 million gallons was available and was scheduled to start flowing at end of February to achieve the set daily capacity of the plant, which is 40 million gallons of water per day.

"For the over seven hundred thousand (700,000) residents whose taps were running for the first time in almost two decades and over, it was a pleasant Christmas Bonus,” he said. “These residents include those living in Adenta, Adjiriganor, Ashaley Botwe, North, East and West Legon, Madina, Haatso and their environs."

President Mahama said in July last year, the Government completed work on the Kpong Intake Rehabilitation Project, which was now contributing 3.3 million gallons of water per day to the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area Water System.

Beneficiary communities, he said, include; Dodowa, Ningo, Prampram, in the Greater Accra Region and the Akuapem Ridge, in the Eastern Region.

He said the water sector also completed the Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area Water Supply Project, which had added nine million and two hundred thousand (9.2 million) gallons per day to water supply in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, improving water supply to an estimated quarter of a million inhabitants.

President Mahama named other beneficiary communities as: Michel Camp, Afienya and surrounding areas, Ayitepa, Kponguno, Omankope, Doyumu and surrounding areas, Bawalashie, Oyibi, Amanfro and surrounding areas

He said Fafraha, Ayikuma, Abokobi, Pantang, and surrounding, Aperade, Adukrom, Awukugua, Dawu and surrounding areas, Akropong, Mamfe, Amanokrom, Tutu and surrounding areas, New Senchi, Akrade, Senchi and surrounding areas were other beneficiaries.

“We have also introduced into our water production mix, a Desalination Water Project, which is the first ever, desalination plant in this country,” he said.

The Teshie-Nungua Plant is currently supplying 13.2 million gallons of water per day to about half a million people in Teshie, Nungua, the Teshie Military Barracks, Batsoona, Sakumono and parts of La-Dadekotopon.

He said the total water supply to the capital, Accra, had, therefore, increased by more than 65.7 million gallons of water per day.

"Through these investments we have, therefore, outstripped the demand for water in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area by 2.7 million gallons per day."

He said the vision to end totally the problems of water shortages had not been limited to the urban parts of the country or to Accra alone.

"New water systems have been completed and commissioned at Anyinam, Kibi, Osenase, Apedwa and Kwabeng, “he said.

The Asante Mampong Water Supply Project is also now supplying the inhabitants of Damang, Daaho, Basafour, Besease, Kyeremfaso, Krobo, Mpenya, Dadease, Bonkron, Nsuta, and Beposo with water.

"The Nsawam Water Supply Project and the Essakyir Water Project have also been completed."

He said from the Upper East and Upper West Regions, through Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region down to Accra, many more projects were at various stages of completion to bring relief to our people.