Row Leads To GUWCL Cutting Water Supply To Over 500 Households

A feud between Ghana Urban Water Company Limited (GUWCL) and K. Adu Construction and Plumbing Works, has left over 500 households of Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality without water supply for more than two weeks. The feud ensued as a result of a stand-off between the two service providers over a Ghc50,000 being demanded from the latter as cost of pumping treated water into their transmission lines for distribution to homes. Management of K. Adu Construction and Plumbing Works initially contested the bill, claiming that there were leakages in the lines which led to loss of water and thus unlawful for the GUWCL to demand money for services the people did not enjoy. K. Adu Construction later agreed to settle the bill but in part. However, officials of GUWCL reportedly led a team of security personnel to the remove the bulk meter belonging to K. Adu Contractors, resulting in the cut of water supply to the municipality. The Ga West Municipality is currently leading with borne diseases, particularly buruli ulcer as a result of the consumption of unwholesome water. As part of efforts to reverse the trend, government in June 2011, through the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, awarded a contract to Messrs K. Adu Construction and Plumbing Works Limited for the extension of water to Ga West and the sod cutting was done by the Deputy Minister Dr. Hanna Bissiw. Residents of the area say they could not afford the exorbitant fares charged by tanker suppliers and are left with no option than to use water from nearby streams, which they share with cattle. Due to the development, water supply to the Municipal Police and the Ghana National Fire Services has been cut off as well. The Amasaman Government Hospital is perhaps the worst hit, as the Senior Health Administrator Charles Banafo stated the hospital which used to spend less than Ghc1, 000 a month on water supplied through its taps, now spend as much as Ghc480 every other day on water supply from tanker service providers. Management of K. Adu Limited has therefore called on the government to institute an inquiry into the activities of Ghana Urban Water Limited and the perpetrators brought to book for the Better Ghana Agenda to flourish.