Ghana Water Limited (GWL) is set to replace ageing water pumps and pipelines across the country as part of efforts to improve water supply and reduce losses within the distribution system.
The Managing Director of GWL, Adam Mutawakilu, said the Kpong Water Treatment Plant in the Eastern Region would benefit from the pump replacement programme, while old pipelines in Abetifi and neighbouring communities would also be replaced.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday, October 13, he said the company had shifted its focus from extending water networks to new areas to rehabilitating existing infrastructure, particularly where consumers continue to experience unreliable supply.
Mr Mutawakilu explained that expanding the network without first addressing weaknesses in the existing system could increase the number of customers affected by supply challenges.
He disclosed that GWL had suspended new pipeline extension projects from August and directed all regional and district offices to submit lists of old pipelines requiring replacement by October.
The company will review the submissions and distribute the proposed projects among the regions for consideration and approval by its board.
Mr Mutawakilu said the decision followed an assessment by management, which found that replacing faulty infrastructure was a more pressing priority than expanding the network.
“I think since April, my team and I realised that it’s not always extension. Because if you have 100 people and 30 people are complaining, ‘We are not getting water,’ and you are extending the number to 150, are you not just compounding the complaints?” he asked.
He said the company expected the regions and districts to submit their lists within the month to enable management to determine which replacement projects should be undertaken.
“So we decided that from August, no more extensions. Rather, we’ll do replacement. And I gave them up to October, this month, for all regions and districts to submit a list of pipelines they would like to replace.
“And therefore, next week, when they submit, we now sit down and then apportion it to each of the regions for the board approval. And once it is done, we focus on replacement of old pipes,” he added.
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