Water company operating at a loss

The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the Brong Ahafo Region is operating at a loss due to the acute water shortage that has hit the Sunyani Municipality and its environs about a month now.

The shortage has largely been attributed to the drastic fall in the water level of the Tano River at the Abesim headworks. Mr. Senyor Theodore Amengor, Regional Chief Manager of GWCL told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday that the company is operating at a loss because the river has virtually dried up at Abesim "and it is practically impossible to draw water for treatment and distribution".

The company now fetches water from Berekum in polytanks for supply to consumers at 100 cedis per bucket at vantage points in the Sunyani district, Mr Amengor said. He explained that the company derives 27,500 cedis from a polytank of 275 buckets, "and even each day we are able to supply all the six polytanks at our disposal, we are still unable to meet the operational costs and that is the source of the loss".

Mr Amengor noted that the problem has reduced the revenue generation of the company, which is not a subvented organisation, adding that, the situation would even make it difficult to pay the workers for this month.

He, however, said that the management is collaborating with the Regional Co-ordinating Council to find a lasting solution to the problem. Mr Stephen Kwadwo Fordjour, Acting Regional Commercial Officer of the company, said between 60 to 65 per cent of the company's revenue is generated from the Sunyani district, while the remaining comes from Berekum, Techiman, Dormaa and Dwomo districts.

"So if the revenue from the Sunyani district declines, then, virtually the entire region drastically suffers an operational loss". Meanwhile Dr. Kofi Isaac Asare, Brong Ahafo Regional Director of Health Services has advised residents to boil water from the streams before using, to avoid the outbreak of epidemics such as cholera and water borne diseases.