The Ghana Water Limited (GWL) has raised concerns over the increasing threats to the country’s water sources. Speaking on Joynews’ AM show, Mr. Stanley Nii Kley Martey, the director of public relations and the GWL, highlighted human activities and other challenges such as an increase in population, infrastructural challenges, urbanization, and the challenge of drizzling levels of water bodies.
Production Deficit and Infrastructure Challenges
Mr. Martey confirmed that the supply deficit exceeds 115 million gallons of water, a situation worsened by aging treatment plants and rapid urbanization.
He said “Water production now in Ghana is such that we are unable to meet the demands of the population,” he stated. He explained that most treatment plants were designed for smaller populations and have not been upgraded to match current demand.
He further explained that urbanization and deforestation are also contributing to the crisis. He said most of the trees that were planted to give shape to the rivers have all been cut off, which leads to increased evaporation. “So the slightest increase in temperature, then the water in the river bodies evaporates. Now, when there’s evaporation, sometimes we lose a lot of the water. You may not appreciate it the way I’m saying it, but that is what happens. We lose a lot of the water. And so, in certain times of the year, we (GWL) are unable to have enough for treatment,” he said.
Pollution and Its Impact on Water Quality
Mr. Martey said water pollution remains a major challenge beyond illegal mining. Industrial waste, domestic garbage, and deforestation have all contributed to the contamination of Ghana’s river bodies.
“Now, we are all aware of the pollution of our river bodies. The pollution is not only by alluvial mining or what we call galamsey, but it’s also as a result of the discharge of industrial effluents into our river bodies,” he said.
He said when waste is improperly disposed of, rains wash it into water sources, reducing the amount of clean water available for treatment.
Short-Term and Long-Term Solutions to Water Scarcity
To address the current water issues, he said Ghana Water Limited (GWL) is implementing both short-term and long-term strategies. Short-term measures focus on managing existing water distribution more effectively, while long-term plans involve infrastructure expansion.
Mr. Martey mentioned that some treatment plants have been instituted with internally generated funds. He added that new projects are being developed to increase production capacity, with the goal of meeting government targets and the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
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