The Volta Regional capital, Ho, risks facing water crisis in the next two to five years if the existing systems are not expanded to meet the high demands of the population.

Mr Francis Lamptey, Regional Chief Manager, Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency, in an exclusive interview in Ho that the situation could worsen from the current twice per week water management or ration to one if systems were not expanded and more boreholes sunk.

He attributed the situation to the demand and supply gap and population increase in the Municipal area.

He explained that the population of Ho had increased exponentially resulting from large numbers of students in tertiary institutions in the enclave mentioning the Ho Teaching Hospital, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho Technical University, and Nursing Training College, with associated high demand for water.

He said the Kpeve Water Treatment Plant with an installed capacity of 18,181 cubic metres/day currently produces an average daily production of 11,272 cubic metres/day to the population of Ho Municipal, parts of South Dayi and Afadzato South districts.

He said the population of Ho and its environs stood around 262,000 with a water supply demand of 23,580 cubic metres/day and leaving a demand gap of 12,308 cubic metres/day.

He however said GWCL has rehabilitated the existing filters and high lift pumps at Kpeve head works to improve production of water.

On the overview of the regional water situation, Mr Lamptey said the water Company operates and maintains a total of 10 water supply systems with an installed capacity of 37,051 cubic metres/day with an average daily production being 22,265 cubic metres/day.

The Regional Chief Manager said eight of the systems rely on groundwater, while the remaining five rely on surface water with Jasikan and Worawora systems, which are in the Oti enclave are classified as part of the Volta region in the water sector.

Mr Lamptey disclosed that the average water supply coverage within the region was approximated to be 50 per cent with its urban population of 743,997 and water demand of 44,639 cubic metres, which the water company manages for its clients.

On GWCL investment portfolio, the Regional Chief Manager said the Agordome Water Treatment expansion’s goal and rehabilitation at Sogakope, in the South Tongu district, estimated at 85 million Euros is being funded through a concessionary loan and works was progressing steadily.

Again, he said the first phase of the 61 million Euros Dambai water system to be funded by the governments of Hungary and Germany was pending.

The Hohoe water supply expansion project system through the Deutsche bank, Germany is also pending.

Mr Lamptey disclosed the Company’s challenges include limited distribution network, dilapidated treatment plants and limited plant capacity, low yielding boreholes, unstable power supply and demand and supply gap.

He indicated that GWCL was surmounting these challenges by engaging the Electricity Company of Ghana and the Public Utility and Regulatory Commission to ensure regular and reliable power supply to sustain water delivery.

He said the government, the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources and the GWCL had engaged Messrs Lesico Ghana, to expand the Agordome Water Treatment Plant to serve more people.

He said plans were ripe to expand the Hohoe and Dambai Water supply projects.

Mr Lamptey said feasibility studies have been completed for the supposed Sogakope-Lome water project on a public-private-partnership with the system to serve communities along the journey.

The Regional Chief Manager said the debt portfolio of GWCL in the Volta region stands at GHC 22.9 million as of May, this year, with the high debt categories breakdown being Domestic sales accruing GHC9.0 million; Second Cycle Institutions-GHC 7.9 million; Commercial sales-GHC3.2 million, and Security services-GHC996,391.

He disclosed plans are afoot to redeem these monies.