Members of the Works and Housing Committee inspecting one of the water pumping plants
The Parliamentary Select Committee on Water Resources, Works and Housing is calling for major reforms in the water sector to help avoid what it described as unacceptable losses.
Speaking to the DAILY GUIDE after a tour of the Kpong Water Treatment Works in the Greater Accra region, David Tetteh Assumeng and Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee respectively called for separate institutions to handle the production, supply and distribution of water as it pertains in the electricity sector.
For instance, Volta River Authority (VRA) generates electricity for Ghana Grid Company (GRID to transmit with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) distributing it.
In this case, ECG purchases electricity from VRA and distributes or sells it to consumers.
According to Mr. David Tetteh Assumeng and Cecilia Abena Dapaah who are also the Members of Parliament (MPs) for Shai Osudoku and Bantama respectively, if companies are made to purchase water that is produced, they would be conscious of minimizing the high level of treated water that is being wasted.
“We have seen it with electricity. It is a laudable idea. The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing should bring the law regulating the water sector to Parliament for amendment so that different companies would be involved in the production and distribution of water,” Mr. Assumeng urged, adding that it would make people more accountable.
Cecilia Dapaah, Minority Spokesperson on Water Resources, Works and Housing said, “We support the idea and that is why we encouraged Private, Public Partnership (PPP) in the water sector”.
This, she added, should not increase prices for consumers, pointing out that “we know what people feel when they don’t have access to portable water but as much as good water is essential, prices should not be beyond the reach of consumers”.
Available statistics indicate that about 45 percent of treated water is unaccounted for, a situation that has contributed largely to inadequate water supply to the people.
Supporting the Committee, Production Manager at the Kpong Water Treatment Works, Mr. Charles Brobbey said the idea has been under consideration for sometime now.
According to him, Ghana Water Company might perform better if it produces and sells to another company to distribute to consumers.
He told members of the Committee on Water Resources, Works and Housing that a Chinese company, China Gezouba will be building another plant in addition to Kpong Water Treatment Works to give more water to the people.
The project, according to him, is being financed with a loan of $270 million, which has already been approved by Parliament.
Earlier, members of the Committee toured all the water production sites at Kpong to acquaint themselves with the level and quality of water produced for the people.
From Awudu Mahama, Kpong