More flooding looms as GWC to spill Weija Dam

The Ghana Water Company has hinted of spilling water from the Weija Dam which has almost hit its maximum capacity following the recent rains.

This means residents living in and around the Dam would have to evacuate the area within the next 24 hours or face extra havoc.

Already, some residents of Accra are reeling under the effects of flooding following a recent downpour, which has taken lives and property.

Communications Manager of the Ghana Water company, Stanley Martey, says the current water level makes the spilling inevitable.

"What is happening is that, at level 47 feet we may have to spill to sustain the Dam so we don't compromise its safety. So as at Thursday afternoon when we were there with the sector Minister, the level was around 46.8feet, and with the onset of the rains, there is the possibility that we could have more inflows and exceed the 47 feet so it means we have to consider spilling. But because of the situation with rains in Accra now, we have had to slow down a bit and wait for a day or two to see whether the levels will keep rising. So if by Friday we hit 46.9 getting to 47, then we have to spill immediately" he noted.

Asked whether the excess water could not be used to increase supply for consumers rather than a spillage, he said the production plant has a maximum operating capacity which it cannot exceed.

"That would have been fine but unfortunately the system plant has a maximum operating capacity and beyond that there is nothing one can do. Currently we are producing about 50 million gallons; we have 155 million gallons of water daily from the Weija treatment plant which means that we have hit the maximum operating capacity so there is nothing we can do now.

Besides, the volume of inflows is such that we may have to spill to safeguard the dam and save lives and property because if we do not safeguard the dam and the estuary collapses, it means we are going to lose lives and property along the waterway before we get to the estuary; and you can imagine the number of lives and property we will lose around the area" he said.

"Apart from the dam itself collapsing and we losing property and lives, it also means that the western part of Accra will be without water for a very long time if there should be a collapse of the dam. It has happened before somewhere in the 70s and we shouldn't allow it to happen again" he appealed.

Mr. Stanley Martey thus appealed to residents close to the dam area to evacuate immediately to safeguard lives and property.

"We plead with the public especially those living along the tributaries of the water way to evacuate immediately because even if we hit the 47 feet mark we may spill at midnight and we can't come back to inform them. We have informed everyone who matters; the Municipal assembly, the traditional authorities, NADMO, the BNI and industries operating in the area and we expect they take the necessary measures or evacuate the place for their safety".

The Ghana Water Company has expressed surprise that more people are developing structures close to the facility despite the spillage being an annual occurrence. He warned of a major national disaster if people remain intransigent and fail to leave the area.

He was worried that some persons appear unconcerned after several warnings regardless of the imminent danger.