The Accra East Region of Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has engaged residents of Old Fadama about a planned project to remove all spaghetti pipelines laid through drains.
The engagement was to educate residents about the effect of illegally connecting pipelines above the normal 120 meters through gutters which often causes serious health challenges.
Speaking to the Republic Press at the sideline of the event, the Accra East Area Manager of GWCL, Mr Emmanuel Johnson said the attention of GWCL was drawn to the issue at Old Fadama after recent floods in the area where it was linked to pipelines passing through the drains preventing flood waters to flow away.
Mr Johnson said the spaghetti pipelines prevented the free flow of water in the gutters which causes flooding.
According to him, the project is to build six inches pipeline in the community to connect users by enhancing the frequent flow of water and help stop all illegal connections.
“Many of the things we discovered at Old Fadama were frequent pipe bursts leading to waste water or what is termed as non-revenue water (NRW), laying long pipelines above the 120 meters and all illegal connections,” he stated.
Addressing the residents, the Accra Central District Head, Mrs Salomey Tom, said the community is currently served through a 160mm (6’’) pipeline that was laid in the year 2009 under the then leakage control unit as part of the company’s effort to reduce non-revenue-water [NRW].
She said as a result of the situation, GWCL has incurred losses so the new project is to help reduce both physical and apparent water losses, retain all leakage water in the community and finally provide the required amount of water needed in the area.
On the way forward, Mrs Tom said GWCL will extend 2km of 110mm HBPE pipeline to the community where pipes will be laid along all the internals, interconnection of the 160mm (6’’) HDPE to the 150mm (6’’) u PVC pipeline across the big bridge leading to the Timber Market to serve over 200,000 residents in the area.
She added that after the construction of the pipeline, all GWCL customers would be re-taped at a short distance and all others who want to be connected would have to apply to the district manager for consideration.
“We are therefore asking for the cooperation of leaders and members of this community before, during and after the project.”
In his welcoming address, the Assemblyman for the Old Fadama area, Mr Musah Ziyech, welcome the idea of the water company building a bigger pipeline to remove all pipelines running through drains to ensure the community get a free flow of water.
The opinion leaders, chiefs and others also pledged their support for the planned project to improve the water supply in the area.
