Acute water shortage has hit Tamale metropolis and its surrounding communities as residents spend several hours in search of water.

Hundreds of people in the metropolis are seen daily with yellow gallons on motorbikes, tricycle and bicycles searching for water from streams and dams as Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) failed to supply them with water.

Even water tankers which sell water to residents are also finding it extremely difficult to get water as the drivers stayed in long queues for several hours at water supply points.

Abukari Seidu, a tanker driver, in an interview with the Ghanaian Times at the weekend said: “nowadays one has to forgo his or her sleep before you will be able to get water in the metropolis.”

Water tanker drivers have doubled the price of the commodity, as a result of the scarcity of the water in the area; tanker operators now sell their water between GH¢200.00 and GH¢250.00 instead of GH¢100.00.

Due to the scarcity of water, some of the government workers in the metropolis use their official pick-up trucks to carry water from long distances for their families.

A public servant, Musah Fuseini, who was seen with plenty of containers in his official vehicle, told the Ghanaian Times that he spent close to three hours searching for water.

Residents of some nearby communities in the metropolis were competing with animals for water.

In a chat with the Northern Regional Communication Officer of the Ghana Water Company, Nii Abbey blamed the situation on the frequent power outage in the area, explaining that the unstable nature of electricity supply had affected the operation of the GWCL.

The communication officer also said the water level at Dalun in-take point was at it lower level, making pumping water into tankers for supplies difficult.

Some of the hard hit suburbs included Kalaraga, Vittin Estates, Targets, Fuo, Dabokpan, Kukuo, Chenlin and Lamashegu.