By Daniel Donkor
Management of the Ghana Water Company Limited has attributed the ongoing water shortage in parts of the Sunyani Municipality and its surrounding communities to the destruction of its main transmission pipelines during road construction works.
According to the company, the damage occurred when a contractor working on the Abesim–SUSEC road expansion project destroyed two major pipelines measuring 12 inches and 8 inches in diameter, significantly disrupting the flow of treated water to several communities.
In a statement issued by management in Sunyani, the company apologised to residents for the recent spate of water shortages affecting parts of the municipality and its environs.
The water utility explained that the damage to the pipelines has severely hampered water supply to areas that normally receive regular flow, while worsening the situation in suburbs where water supply has already been intermittent.
Communities affected by the disruption include Penkwase, Nkwabeng, Airport, Zinco, Military Barracks, New Dormaa, Kotokrom, Yawhimeh and Chiraa, among others.
The company further indicated that the scale of the damage has forced engineers to carry out intermittent shutdowns of the treatment plant to allow for repair works on the damaged sections of the pipelines.
“These intermittent shutdowns are necessary to facilitate repairs, but they also lead to prolonged hours before water supply can be fully restored,” the statement noted.
Technical teams from Ghana Water Company Limited have since been deployed to the affected areas and are currently working on the damaged sections of the transmission pipelines to restore normal water supply.
Management assured residents that efforts are being intensified to complete the repair works as quickly as possible and restore supply to the affected communities.
The company also apologised to its customers and the general public for the inconvenience caused and appealed for patience while repair works continue.
For six consecutive days, several communities across the municipality endured severe water shortages following a disruption in supply from the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL).
