DOMESTIC and commercial water consumers in the Northern Region owe the Aqua Vitens Rand/Ghana Water Company Limited (AVRL/GWCL) GH¢1.697 million as of February, this year.
The water company also loses more than 50 per cent of its water provided to consumers through illegal connections in the area.
Additionally, the proliferation of water sachet producers and car washing bays, particularly in the Tamale Metropolis, some of which allegedly engage in illegal water connection, is said to be a major problem bedevilling the water sector in the region.
The Regional Customer Care Manager of AVRL/GWCL, Mr Kwabena Tabiri, made this known during an interaction with media practitioners in Tamale as part of activities marking this year’s World Water Day celebration.
The event was on the theme: “Clean water for a healthy world.”
According to Mr Tabiri, while the Food and Drugs Board in the metropolis claimed there were about 70 water sachet water producers in the region, the company had on its record only 40 of such producers.
He stressed that his outfit would ensure that those operating illegally and using water without paying their bills were brought to book.
Mr Tabiri said about 34 per cent of customers had meters while 66 per cent of them did not, adding that the company had acquired about 4,000 meters to be supplied to customers who had no meters.
The manager expressed concern about the way some politicians had been interfering with the work of the AVRL staff anytime they wanted to arrest recalcitrant customers.
“Until we change our attitude, there is little that we can do as a company to improve upon the situation in the Northern Region,” he pointed out.
The Regional Production Manager of the AVRL/GWCL, Mr Joseph Azumah, stated that in 1999, the water facilities at Dalun were expanded to produce 4.5 million gallons of water daily.
He added that in 2008 the water facilities were expanded again to provide 10 million gallons of water daily.
Mr Azumah announced that by 2015, demand for water would increase from about 39,749 cubic meters to 49,392 cubic meters daily.
He said there was the need to expand the current facilities by about 37,500 cubic meters to meet the increasing demand.
Mr Azumah mentioned frequent power interruptions, low voltage and high voltage, and power failures as some of the major challenges facing the water company in its quest to provide adequate and sustainable water supply.
He said such operational problems like old and obsolete equipment, failure of equipment, tampering with valves and invasion of facilities had bedevilled the water delivery system over the years.
The Regional Distribution Manager of AVRL/GWCL, Mr Wisdom Bortier said high water demand during dry season, weak pipelines and construction of structures on pipelines causing leakage, were the other challenges facing the company.
The AVRL General Manager of Area, Mr Samuel Mensah observed that this year’s celebration was aimed at raising the profile of water quality by encouraging governments, organisations, communities and individuals around the world to find solution to water quality issues.
The Assistant Communications Officer of AVRL, Nii Abbey Nicholas expressed optimism that a series of educational campaigns would be carried out in the future to help change public attitude towards the prompt payment of bills and the avoidance of illegal connections.
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