The €35 million water project designed to solve the water delivery problem in the Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua and its environs is nearing completion, Project Manager at the site, Allan Okomeng-Mensah told Deputy Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Hannah Bissiw last week.
With the completion of the phase one of the project which involves the construction and installation of equipment at the treatment plant at Ortekpelu, 24 kilometres from Koforidua, all that is left is the completion of the booster station currently close to finishing, and Koforidua would start receiving adequate water by December 2009.
Mr. Okomeng-Mensah explained to the deputy minister who paid a familiarization visit to the project site that when completed, the plant which was test-run for 21 days in February has the capacity to produce 4.2 million gallons of water a day.
According to him, when this capacity is added to the 1.2 million gallons being produced currently at Koforidua, residents would be able to receive water supply seven days in the week, 24 hours a day.
Currently water is being rationed for residents who are served once a week from the Koforidua treatment plant, but this is set to change as soon as Ortekpelu comes on board.
“In addition to the regional capital, both Osiem and Old Tafo with all communities along the way from Ortekpelu to Koforidua will also be served”, Mr.Okomeng-Mensah disclosed, adding that “we are also installing small and large community stand pipes to serve communities along the way from Koforidua to Osiem and Old Tafo as well”
He said the new project was designed, taking into consideration, the future development of commercial and industrial activity in the capital. For this reason, he explained that the current provision of 10 gallons per person per day will be doubled so that even with future development there would not be a problem of water shortage.
According to him, the intake, which is 8.5 km from Ortekpelu has a dual intake system with a floating pontoon stationed on that side of the Volta River. He added that in the seasons when water levels go down the pontoon which has a pump installed on it would pump water to the treatment plant. Hon. Dr. Bissiw urged the contractors, DENYS to deliver on schedule so as to bring to an end permanently the water delivery problem of Koforidua.
In a related development, the program to start pumping water from the Agona Kwanyarko treatment plant to Kasoa is also on course.
This project, when completed would take Kasoa off the Weija supply system in order to free some more water at Weija to boost the Accra supply.
It is funded by a € 12.2 million loan and grant from the Netherland government with DENYS as the contractors. Currently the Kwanyarko plant produces 35,000 cubic metres (7.7 million gallons) a day which was expanded plant in 2007.
While the Kasoa supply system comes on board, the dam level would be raised by two metres and dredging carried out to expand the capacity of the dam to extend supplies to parts of Accra. The Sub-Saharan Divisional Manager for DENYS Bart D. Smedt disclosed that the project would be complete by the end of 2009.
He assured the minister that with the current capacity the 2025 target would still be met without any shortfalls.
The Station Manager of Aqua Vitens Rand, Gideon Asare Annor also stated that currently the new plant is only doing 60% of its capacity and so water can comfortably be taken beyond Kasoa when the dredging of the dam on River Ayensu is completed.
Written by Justice Lee Adoboe(Koforidua)Financial Intelligence
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