Gov't to rehabilitate Koforidua water supply system

A rehabilitation project to double the supply of water in the Koforidua municipality and its environs is to take off before the year ends.

When completed, the rehabilitation project, which is to be financed with a Spanish loan, would put to rest the periodic water shortage problem in the municipality, Dr. Francis Osafo-Mensah, the Eastern Regional Minister, said on Tuesday.

Speaking to the press in Accra on government's development projects in the Eastern Region since January 2001, when he took his turn in a series of encounters dubbed: 'Meet the Press' in Accra, Dr. Osafo-Mensah said the present water supply to the municipality was woefully inadequate.

The installed capacity of the treatment plant is one million gallons per day though requirements are projected at five million gallons to ensure continuous flow of water in all households and for industrial purposes.

Dr. Osafo-Mensah said in line with government policy of private participation in the water sector, a number of private firms had had discussions with the region to take part in the Koforidua Water Supply Project, in the options of the Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT), joint venture with the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) or management of some aspects of the water company's operations.

He announced that negotiations were underway to secure funds to undertake the project of extracting water from the Volta Lake at Anyaboni to solve the long-term water supply problem.

Dr. Osafo-Mensah said out of 340 boreholes and hand-dug wells earmarked for the region, from January 2001 to December 2002, 166 had been completed whilst 174 were underway in 11 districts. Also, 8,862 existing wells constructed by the donor community had been rehabilitated.

He said pre-construction activities had been completed under the Small Town Water Project. Construction works at Donkorkrom, Asiakwa, Abomosu, Ayirebi, New Abirem, Aboasi, Aperade, Adeiso and Akroso, which had paid five per cent each of the total cost were expected to start before the end of this year.

The Eastern Regional Minister said from January 2001 to date 1,025 out of the targeted 3,000 household latrines had been completed and 500 were also being constructed under a DANIDA programme for the 11 out of the 15 districts of the region.

At the same time, 128 Kumasi Ventilated Improved Pit (KVIP) toilets were at various stages of completion and another 200 had been earmarked for four other districts.