Water shortage hits Sekondi-Takoradi metro

An acute water shortage has hit  Sekondi/Takoradi since mid December 2013 as a result of heavy silt deposit at the intake point at Daboase which is  preventing regular flow of water for treatment.

In a few areas where the taps are flowing, the pressure is very low and it takes hours for households to get enough water. 

Most residents now draw water from untreated sources , while others use sachet water  for domestic use. 

Affected areas

Affected areas include the Sekondi township, Komfoase, Ekuase, Esikado, Bakayire, and Bakoano, South Kweikuma, Adiembra, Adiembra-Ridge, Kojokro and other areas which derive their water supply from the Daboase intake.

Both the young and old in those areas queue for long periods to draw water from abandoned wells near the Mutual Health Office in Sekondi and the Sekondi Shell Fuel Station and another well at Nana Aboa in Sekondi.

Mr Abraham Cudjoe,  a resident of Bakano, said the water shortage had affected his daily routine for over a month now.

“I have to walk for over 30 minutes to get to where I can fetch water. Most of the time, I have to join a queue for more than an hour before it gets to my turn,” he said.

Solving the problem

The Regional Manager of the Ghana Water Company, Mr Daniel Moumaala, acknowledged the problem and said the company was in the process of  engaging an excavator to clear the debris from the Daboase intake point to enable water to flow through the system for treatment.

Unfortunately, he said the company did not have an excavator in Sekondi/Takoradi,  so “we have to turn to  the mining companies at Tarkwa or contact Zoomlion in Accra to send one to the region to undertake the task.”

He expressed the hope that soon the intake would be cleared to ensure free flow of water.