Water shortage: Takoradi residents’ fate hangs on rains

Residents within the Takoradi metropolis will have to endure the water rationing by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) for as long as the rains are away.

This is because the GWCL says it cannot give timelines to when the water rationing will end.

It can only bang its hopes on the rains which are likely to set in in a few months.

Residents have been without water for over a week, a situation the GWCL has blamed on the harmattan.

Communications Manager for the Ghana Water Company Limited in the Western and Central regions, Nana Yaw Barimah Banie, said the water levels in the dam and the Daboase River which serves as their sources of water for the metropolis has gone down.

“Immediately it starts raining, the water levels will come up. So I’m unable to indicate as to when the rationing will stop. It is only when the rains come in and we’re able to abstract as much water as possible that we’ll stop so that there’ll be no need to ration.  Then, everybody can get water anytime that we treat water and distribute. So I’m unable to give you any particular deadline that the rationing is going to stop” he said in an interview on Starr FM.

He, however, added that a rationing timetable has been made available to residents within the Takoradi metropolis.

Mr Barimah Banie urged residents to use water judiciously.

“There’s the need to be cautious when using water. I’ll urge our valued customers to use water more judiciously. You can reduce the quantity of water you use. We’re advising our customers to devise judicious ways of using water so there’ll be a fair share” he said.

Meanwhile, some residents according to a reporter with Empire FM have resorted to using sachet water in this desperate period of water shortage.