Water deficit in Accra stands at 57m gallons

Source: Globalnewsreel.com

Daily water demand in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) stands at 150 million gallons although Kpong and Weija treatment plants, the major water treatment plants serving the area, can only produce 93 million gallons a day.

Currently, Weija produces 53 million gallons while Kpong generates 40 million gallons per day, creating a deficit of 57 million gallons, Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing said.

He said to address the deficit; various interventions are being made to increase water production capacity in the area.

Alhaji Dauda, who was speaking at the Meet-The-Press series organised in Accra on Monday to update the public on progress of the Ministry, said these interventions are expected to add a total of 65.3 million gallons into the GAMA water supply system.

These include the nine million gallons Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area Rural Water Supply Project; the 3.3 million gallons water treatment plant at Kpong (Siemens); the 40 million gallons water treatment plant at Kpong, and the 13 million sea water desalination plant at Teshie-Nungua.

The Minister noted that when the projects are completed the total production of potable water in GAMA would improve to 158.3 million gallons.

“The projected water supply for GAMA by 2015 is in the neighbourhood of 158 million gallons. Therefore, by the end of 2015 the deficit in water supply in GAMA would have been addressed. An unprecedented record would have been set. This would be President Mahama’s Christmas package for the people of GAMA in line with his vision of providing access to safe, affordable and reliable water for the country,” he added.

Alhaji Dauda said long term measures are also being put in place to ensure the reliability and sustainability of water supply to GAMA from 2015 to 2030.

This would cover Asutsuare Water Supply Project, Kpong Water Supply Expansion Phase two, and Weija Water Supply Expansion Project.

He announced that there are water projects across the country to help improve the water supply systems.

On the Housing Sub- Sector, the Minister said, available data puts the housing deficit in excess of 1.7 million housing units.

To be able to address the deficit and accommodate new households, there is the need for a minimum annual delivery of about 85,000 housing units over the next 20 years.

He pledged government’s commitment to facilitate access to housing especially for the middle to low income earners who feel the stress most.

He said in this regard, government is working towards the completion of the 4,720 affordable housing units located at six sites in Greater Accra, Ashanti, Northern, Upper West and Upper Eastern regions.

Alhaji Dauda said the Ministry has allocated the Kpone site to the Tema Development Corporation for completion.

“The State Housing Company Limited is working on five blocks of flats of 72 units at Borteyman, and is about 90 per cent complete. The security services have also been allocated five blocks of 40 housing units.

“The Ministry has concluded discussions with the Social Security and National Insurance Trust to complete the housing units at Borteyman, Asokore-Mampong in Kumasi, Koforidua, Tamale and Wa.”