CHECK ILLEGAL WATER CONNECTIONS (PAGE 23, JUNE 7, 2010)

THE General Manager of Communications of Aqua Vitens Rand Limited (AVRL), Mr Kwaku Sakyi-Addo, has called for stiffer punishment to be meted out to those who engage in illegal water connections in the Tamale Metropolis.
He said imposing “stringent sanctions” on recalcitrant consumers of water would serve as a deterrent to others and enhance the revenue base of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) in the area.
Mr Sakyi-Addo was interacting with newsmen in Tamale during a stakeholders meeting which was organised by the AVRL/GWCL on addressing the challenges that militate against ample supply of water to the metropolis.
In attendance were traditional rulers, representatives of public agencies and institutions, officials of the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (RCC)..
He said that the situation where persons who had been arrested for engaging in illegal connection were fined paltry sums and went back to commit the same illegal act must be stopped.
The General Manager further intimated that the challenges in the water sector needed to be solved collectively.
“It is, however, clear that water supply has over the years significantly improved but the issue is that the improved supply is not commensurate with the revenue being generated”, he pointed out.
Mr Sakyi-Addo, stressed the need for intensive public education to ensure that consumers pay for the water they used.
According to him, the company would need $1.8 billion to increase urban water coverage from 59 to 80 per cent nationwide.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Mabengba, observed that the shortage of potable water had the potential of eroding the gains made in eliminating guinea worm.
“Although massive investment in the water sector had been made in the past, more needs to be done to match the increasing population of the region, especially the rural communities and the Tamale Metropolis”, he stated.
Mr Mabengba said in spite of the successful execution of the Tamale Water Expansion Project, many communities still complained of not having potable water and indicated that the RCC would support the various district assemblies to pull down illegal structures situated on the pipelines of the AVRL/GWCL.
“The public wants value for money to justify calls for prompt payment of bills and tariff increases; the public fails to understand why losses emanating from lack of supervision on the part of the operator should be pushed down the throats of consumers”, he stressed.
The Regional Customer Care Manager, Mr Kwabena Tabiri, mentioned hostilities and threats from some customers, interference by some opinion leaders and tampering of water installations as some of challenges facing the sector.
He said high water demand during dry season, construction of structures on pipelines,thereby causing leakages, unstable power supply in the production system, illegal water connections and meter bypasses were some of the problems that the company faced.