The Western Region Office of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has resumed water supply to the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis from its Daboase Headworks in the Wassa East District after ten days of cut in supply.
The cut in water supply was as a result of a cable blast, which affected the main transformer at the Daboase Treatment Plant.
“On Monday, November 18, there was a cable blast. The blast was so severe that it affected our main transformer that gives power to our water pumps. So, we had to stop production since we could not pump water from the treatment plant,” Western Region Communications Manager of the Company Nana Yaw Barima Barnie recalled.
Even though the Inchaban headworks was producing water, the volume was woefully inadequate.
Residents and businesses therefore had to go for days without water, giving cause to fears of a possible disease outbreak in the metropolis.
Almost a week after the cable blast, a new transformer was brought from the Barekese Treatment Plant in the Ashanti Region.
Nana Barnie explained that it took them days to transport the new transformer from the Ashanti Region.
“Unfortunately, when we fixed the new transformer and energized it, we encountered another challenge. We had low voltage at our intake point and as a result we could not draw raw water from the Pra River for treatment and onward supply to the metropolis. We had to bring engineers from ECG to help fixed the problem and that also took some time.”
Nana Barima Barnie said they have for the past two days resumed production but said it will take sometime before water will reach “the farthest point of the metropolis”.
“We have started production. But you saw that there was power interruption for greater parts of Tuesday and that also affected us. So, if we don’t encounter any power interruption and will have continuous power supply for the next six days then there will be no complaints of non-availability of water in the various households.”
Scores of residents who have had to go for days without water were bemused that there is no spare transformer at the Daboase Headworks.
Nana Yaw Barima Barnie admitted the challenge but said the breakdown of the old transformer has given enough cause for management to consider a standby transformer.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Ghana