The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has assured consumers in the Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions as well as the general public that water that flows through the taps in their homes is safe for consumption.
According to the GWCL, the contamination of the Tano River due to an accident that occurred on Monday, January 13, had no effect on the water that runs through their taps.
The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) on Monday advised all communities along the Tano River not to drink from the river until further notice because the water had been poisoned as a result of the accident involving an articulated truck which was carrying sulphuric acid.
According to NADMO, as a result of the accident, the acid which was in 2500 gallons washed into the water and culminated in the death of several aquatic animals including fishes and crocodiles among others.
But a statement issued by the GWCL on Thursday assured residents in the affected areas that due to the stringent production processes the company employs in water treatment, water treated by GWCL meets the World Health Organization (WHO) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) standards before it is pumped into the system for consumption.
“All GWCL treatment plants are equipped with standard and in some locations, state-of-the-art laboratories, and as part of the treatment process, the pH of the raw water is tested at source, during the treatment process and ultimately the final clear water which is finally pumped for consumption. The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for pH testing is hourly on daily basis but has currently been reduced to 30 minutes due to the current situation and also under 24-hour surveillance,” the statement said.
“Management wishes to assure the general public, that GWCL Experts are working together with the Water Resources Commission, NADMO and the District Assembly to bring the situation to normalcy and that, there is no need for any anxiety in consuming water that flows through the tap,” the statement added.
