4 communities get water treatment plants in Shai Osudoku District

Three communities in the Shai Osudoku District in the Greater Accra Region have been provided with water treatment plants to improve access to potable water with grounds also broken to begin construction works for another water treatment facility.

District Chief Executive for Shai Osudoku, Daniel Akuffo commissioned the three reverse osmosis water treatment plants costing $ 23,000 each for three communities including Klebuse, Lubuse and Dzigbedzi with Volivo also set to benefit from a Safe Water Network (SWN) water station to be constructed within three months.

The provision of the reverse osmosis water treatment plants is to alleviate the plight of the people who hitherto depended on untreated water from the canal of the Kpong Irrigation Scheme (KIS) for water.

However, ongoing rehabilitation works being undertaken by the KIS has blocked the communities’ access to their only source of water, a situation which encouraged the KIS and its partners including the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project (GCAP) to facilitate the provision of alternative sources of water for the people.

The water supply systems are expected to improve access to water for the people.

Cutting the sod for Safe Water Network water station at Volivo, the Assembly Chief while regretting the lack of potable water for the people of the community said the assembly did not hesitate when SWN approached his office to provide the 20,000 litre/day capacity clean water facility for the people.

He however cautioned the beneficiary community to ensure the strict maintenance of the plant when completed to ensure it serves its purpose for a long time.

Supporting the project and maintaining it, Mr. Akuffo said, would encourage the NGO to extend the services to other nearby communities with similar water challenges.

He commended Safe Water Network and Kpong Irrigation System together with its partners for their generosity in coming to the aid of the people.

Mr. Akuffo said the water-delivery facilities are constructed to benefit everyone, irrespective of political affiliation and charged the various committees set up to manage the facility, to work judiciously to protect the plants.

The DCE charged the beneficiary communities to assume full responsibility of the maintenance of the facilities by ensuring that the plants were always in good conditions and reminded them that similar projects would only be replicated for others when they maintain the facility properly, adding that that proceeds from the sale of the water will be used for their maintenance.

Assembly man for Duffor electoral area, Nicolas Owen Korletey who joined the DCE to cut sod for the SWN facility also expressed his profound appreciation to SWN and the assembly for bringing potable drinking water to the people.

Project Manager at Kpong Irrigation Scheme, Joseph Nartey, said the shutdown of the rehabilitation of the 452 hectares scheme by the KIS cut the supply of water to the people who hitherto depended on the canal for their water supply, a situation which necessitated the provision of the water plants to serve the people.

He was hopeful that similar interventions will be extended to other affected communities in the area.

Construction Manager for Safe Water Network, Mr. Kofi Peprah who also said the network was ready to support government to provide safe water for the people revealed that his organization had already provided water treatment facilities for about 95 communities across the country.

He expressed his appreciation to the chiefs and people of the area and the district assembly for their show of commitment and support towards the project.

Aside the project providing potable, clean water for the people, Mr. Peprah said it will additionally provide job opportunities for the youth but reiterated calls on the people to adopt the culture of maintenance, openness and accountability to enable the town reap the full benefits of the water project and urged them to ensure the security of the materials.

Assembly Member for Kasunya Elecoral Area, Boso John Mensah identified water challenges as one of the dire challenges confronting the over 1000 people of Lubuse for a very long time.

He was however grateful for the water projects and hoped incidents of waterborne diseases affecting the people including bilharzia, “strange skin diseases” and other challenges associated with depending on the untreated water will be adequately addressed by the provision of the water plants.

He extended his appreciation to the KIS and its partners for the projects but appealed for more water facilities to salvage the plight of the people.

Mr. Mensah, aside this also appealed for a teachers’ bungalow to accommodate teachers in the community.

The project being undertaken by GCAP with construction services by Top International Engineering Corporation of China, was financed by the World Bank and facilitated by the Kpong Irrigation Scheme with support from the Shai Osudoku District Assembly and the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority serving as consultant.